The NHL is signing a seven-year deal with ESPN!

Back at the end of January, it was announced that NBCUniversal was expected to shut down its NBC Sports Network, NBCSN, and move some of its top sports properties to the USA network in the hopes to boost the economics of the general-entertainment cable outlet at a time when new streaming-video hubs are luring bigger audiences. NBC had reportedly informed its distributors it intends to shut down NBCSN at the end of 2021. This includes the NHL. 

On Tuesday now, Chris Johnston of Sportsnet got this breaking news report out that “ESPN is believed to have reached a seven-year deal to become one of the league’s media partners starting next season, according to multiple league and industry sources.”

This how Johnston describes the potential deal on Sportsnet: 

“There was no confirmation from the NHL on an agreement that is expected to see ESPN get the rights to broadcast four Stanley Cup Finals between 2022 and 2028, plus streaming rights for Disney.

Financial terms of the deal weren’t immediately available, nor was it clear which other media company would split the package with ESPN.

NBC currently pays $200 million annually for exclusive U.S. media rights that expire after this season.”

Back in 2011, NBC Sports reached a ten-year extension to their National Hockey League TV contract, which expires after this season. 

This is the end of an era, but clearly the start of a new one.