Pierre Karl Péladeau Says Berube Talks on TVA Rights Are Very Advanced
berube was not the story on the ice Tuesday, but Pierre Karl Péladeau said TVA’s talks to keep French-language NHL broadcast rights were "très avancées." He also said it was possible hockey could still be watched on TVA Sports next year.
Péladeau and TVA Sports
Péladeau, the president and CEO of Quebecor and interim president and CEO of Groupe TVA, said Quebecor was still in negotiations to keep its French-language broadcast rights for NHL games. He made the comments during the annual general meeting news conference of Groupe TVA, then added that the talks were "toujours en cours de négociation" before describing them as "très avancées."
That puts the company near a familiar outcome. TVA Sports has held the French-language broadcast rights to NHL games since 2013, and Péladeau’s remarks point to a strong chance that the channel remains part of the league’s French-language television setup after the current cycle.
Rogers Deal Through 2037-2038
The backdrop is the new NHL agreement with Rogers, a deal worth 11 billion Canadian dollars that runs from next season through 2037-2038. Under the previous 5.2-billion-dollar Canadian agreement over 12 years, Rogers granted TVA Sports the national French-language rights, and that sub-license was estimated to be worth 800 million dollars.
That arrangement has already shaped the market once, and the next one will do it again if TVA stays in place. Péladeau also said Groupe TVA was facing a difficult television industry environment because of falling advertising revenue, adding financial pressure to the rights negotiations.
Canadiens and the French Market
The French-language hockey picture has already shifted elsewhere in Quebec sports media. RDS announced in October that it had reached a new agreement with the Canadiens to broadcast 45 regional games per season starting in 2026-2027.
For viewers, Péladeau’s message was simple: TVA Sports is still in the fight, and hockey on the channel next year is still possible. The immediate test is whether Quebecor turns those very advanced talks into a renewal that keeps the French-language NHL package in its hands.
