CBC Ends Hockey Night In Canada After 12-Year Run

hockey night in canada is leaving CBC after the current season, ending the public broadcaster’s NHL run after Tuesday morning’s joint announcement from Sportsnet and CBC. The move closes out the final NHL games on CBC and ends a 12-year sub-licensing arrangement that kept Saturday night hockey on free-to-air television.

Tuesday Morning Statement

"After a successful 12-year partnership, Sportsnet and CBC today announced the public broadcaster will no longer carry NHL broadcasts after the current season as it moves forward with a new direction for its sports programming following the unprecedented success of the Milano/Cortina Olympic Games," the companies said in a joint statement. CBC will air its final NHL games at the end of the current season, a clean handoff after more than a decade of shared Saturday night coverage.

"Watching hockey on Saturday night is a time-honoured tradition for Canadians, and Sportsnet is privileged to continue delivering that tradition. This has been a terrific partnership and both parties look forward to continued opportunities to collaborate in the future," the statement said. That language leaves Rogers, which owns Sportsnet, in full control of the NHL window it bought through a 12-year, $5.2 billion exclusive national broadcast deal in November 2013.

Rogers Deal Through 2038

Rogers sub-licensed the Saturday night window back to CBC so games could still air over the air for free, a setup that gave the public broadcaster Hockey Night in Canada while Rogers controlled the production, talent and ad revenue. Last year, Rogers signed an $11 billion extension that keeps it as the exclusive home of the NHL through 2038, so this week’s announcement removes the last CBC piece from a rights package that is now locked up for years.

Hockey Night in Canada began on radio in 1931 and moved to CBC television in 1952, which is why this break feels bigger than a simple schedule change. CBC and hockey have been intertwined for most Canadians for decades, but the current arrangement is now ending on Rogers’ timetable, not the broadcaster’s.

Saturday Hockey On CBC

The practical takeaway is simple: after this season, viewers who have relied on CBC for Saturday night NHL games will no longer find them there. The games continue under Sportsnet’s control, while CBC’s role in the NHL package shuts down at the end of the current season.