TSN and the NHL have agreed to a new six-year broadcast and digital rights deal that provides the NHL on TSN with more coverage of Canadian teams than ever before.
The agreement commences with the 2008-09 season in Ocotber and runs through the 2013-14 campaign.
Under terms of the deal, TSN secures exclusive Canadian specialty television rights for national English-language broadcast and digital coverage of NHL games. Details of the agreement are as follows:
- TSN will televise 70 regular season games annually; for the first time, all games will feature at least one Canadian team
- TSN will televise the first three rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, with the possibility of featuring a Canadian team in the Conference Quarter-Finals; marks the first time TSN would have coverage of a Canadian team in the post-season
- Vast majority of games will be in High Definition on TSN HD
- Suite of digital rights for TSN telecasts includes broadband, wireless and video-on-demand
- Continued exclusivity of Wednesday Night Hockey, in which there are no other national or local telecasts
- Continued exclusive Canadian coverage of the NHL Entry Draft and NHL Draft Lottery Special
"This landmark agreement provides TSN with its strongest NHL package ever, said Rick Brace, President, Revenue, Business Planning and Sports, CTV Inc. "Giving Canadian hockey fans more coverage of their teams has always been a top priority for TSN and this new deal delivers with greater access to Canadian teams and expanded hockey coverage on the digital platforms. The deal underscores TSN's valued partnership with the NHL and we look forward to reaching new audiences and achieving new milestones with our all-encompassing NHL programming."
Headlining TSN's increased Canadian team coverage is the Toronto Maple Leafs with 17 appearances annually, followed by Montreal with 15, and 10 appearances each for Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Ottawa.
"TSN does an outstanding job of capturing all aspects of NHL hockey, and we are extremely pleased that our fans in Canada can look forward to six more seasons of creative, innovative and passionate NHL coverage," said NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly.