Hopefully this will drive the cap up in 2 years - big TV bump from $200M per season from NBC, to around $625M per season from ESPN/TNT - can only help the cap jump up: After reaching a historic seven-year deal with the Walt Disney Company and ESPN last month, the NHL’s new secondary broadcast partner is expected to be TNT, The Post’s Andrew Marchand confirmed. Turner is going to pay in the neighborhood of $225 million per season over its seven-year NHL deal, according to sources. It will be getting rights to some Stanley Cup Finals as part of the deal. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that the NHL will conduct a Board of Governors call later Monday to update the upcoming US TV picture. Four of the next seven Stanley Cups will be on ESPN, with the other three on Turner, per Friedman. If the deal with TNT is finalized, next season will mark the first time since the 2005-06 season that NBC will not carry NHL games. The network reportedly pulled out of the bidding for the league’s second TV package. The deal with the Walt Disney Company and ESPN for the league’s television, streaming and media rights is set to go into effect from the beginning of the 2021-22 season through the 2027-28. Turner has now joined ESPN, according to sources, as the new home of the Stanley Cup beginning next year because they paid the most. NBC had a sweetheart deal for a longtime that averaged $200 million per year. Now, the NHL will be paid around $625 million per season with ABC/ESPN and Turner splitting the games and, most importantly, Lord Stanley’s Cup. Turner’s deal is much less than ESPN’s. Sources said Turner (TNT & TBS) will pay in the neighborhood of $225 million-plus per season over the seven years, while ESPN’s number is around $400 million per year and includes an extra Cup and out-of-market subscription rights. The full extent of Turner’s agreement is not yet known and very likely includes its streaming service, HBO Max.
It will be a little weird, but honestly I am looking forward to the NHL being on ESPN/ABC/TNT/TBS. After many years of NBC, which to me is a very stale vanilla production, it will be fun to have some new blood and I am thinking new production for NHL games. It's about time from my POV, and the NHL makes an extra $425M per year as well. That's a win.
OLN had the wisdom to be one of the first networks to broadcast games in HDTV, no more need for the CG puck tracers. I thought it was very smart for the NHL to tell the networks to eff off when they lowballed. OLN would have 4-6 games on daily which was awesome.
Agree. Never impressed with nbc. Hopefully the salary cap can be raised sooner rather than later with the leagues new windfall
