Rogers Confirms Big Changes Coming for the Ridiculous NHL Blackout Games
Photo credit: Reddit
As NHL fans complain about blackouts stopping them from watching their favourite teams, some big changes are on the way to how they are broadcast in Canada
There are few things worse than sitting down to watch your favourite NHL team take to the ice only to have the game blacked out in your area.
With Rogers and the NHL recently reaching a deal to extend broadcasting rights in Canada to, there is some good news on the regional blackouts front.
While officially announcing the new 12 year agreement, Colette Watson, the president of Rogers Sports and Media said fewer games will be subjected to blackouts in Canada as Sportsnet will be broadcasting more games nationally, meaning anyone with a Sportsnet package will be able to watch them no matter where they live.
"Hockey is part of the fabric of Canadian culture and our long-term relationship with the NHL helped make Sportsnet Canada's #1 sports media brand. Canadians overwhelmingly choose Sportsnet, and we are investing in this partnership, so fans have access to more games, more content and more choice from their favourite teams across the league."
The statement will likely be welcome news for many. The best part of it is these new policies will kick in for the 2025-26 season.
The idea behind the blackouts is to protect the exclusivity of local broadcasters' rights to air games in specific regions, ensuring fans in those areas watch on their local network rather than through national streaming services.
However, with so many people moving over to streaming services, it seems Rogers and the NHL had little choice but to make to keep up with the times.
The new agreement between Rogers and the NHL is worth $11 billion over its 12 year lifespan. It ends following the 2037-38 NHL season unless a new deal is signed before then.
| POLL | ||
AVRIL 2 | 186 ANSWERS Rogers Confirms Big Changes Coming for the Ridiculous NHL Blackout Games Are you happy to hear that fewer games will be blacked out under the new deal with Rogers and the NHL? | ||
| Yes | 163 | 87.6 % |
| No | 6 | 3.2 % |
| Not sure | 17 | 9.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
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