Months after it was announced that ESPN would become one of the new homes for the NHL starting in the 2021-22 season, it appears there is more clarity as to whom will become the secondary TV rights holder for the league. According to multiple reports, Turner Broadcasting (TBS, TNT, etc.) will become the second home for the NHL as part of the new TV rights deal.
The NHL will be having a Board of Governors call later today to update the upcoming US TV picture. 4 of next 7 Stanley Cups on @ESPN; 3 on Turner.
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) April 26, 2021
On Monday, Sports Business Journal reported that NBC would officially NOT be returning to the TV deal with the NHL after being the home of the league for over a decade and a half.
BREAKING: Next season will mark the first time since '05-06 that NBC will not carry #NHL games, with sources saying that the network has officially pulled out of the bidding for the league's second TV package (@Ourand_SBJ, @markjburns88).
Free to read: https://t.co/wIS8GGe9hn pic.twitter.com/u2SMbVipoq
— Sports Business Journal (@sbjsbd) April 26, 2021
TSN’s Bob McKenzie also provided insight that FOX Sports had been in the conversations along with ESPN, but it appears now that Turner Broadcasting will be the secondary rights holder.
I know @FOXSports has been viewed as the presumed/expected secondary 🇺🇸 partner, and we will have to see where things officially shake out in days to come, but I heard last week a new entity entered the picture and may have eclipsed Fox and NBC. Stay tuned, as the saying goes.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) April 26, 2021
The new deal begins with next season and runs through the 2027-28 season with four Stanley Cup Finals being broadcast on ESPN and three on the second network, which again appears to be Turner Broadcasting.
Sports Business Journal’s John Ourand reports that the new TV deal reached between the NHL and ESPN/Turner Sports will push the league’s revenue to $625M per year with the combined deal. Previously, NBC and Disney’s combined TV rights and streaming services deal with the league generated $300M per year in revenue. With the new deal, ESPN pays $400M and Turner Sports picks up the other $225M each year.
Another interesting piece to the Turner Sports puzzle comes from Andrew Marchand of the New York Post.
Here is one note component of potential Turner/NHL deal:
HBO Max getting into sports for first time.
— Andrew Marchand (@AndrewMarchand) April 26, 2021
Could we see a return of the HBO Road To The Winter Classic series? Because that would be great. The Winter Classic, by the way, will be broadcast on Turner networks (TBS/TNT), according to ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski.
Of course, as more develops we’ll keep you updated before everything is officially official.