Rogers, CBC sign new 7-year deal for Hockey Night in Canada

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman attends a news conference in Toronto on Tuesday November 26, 2013. Rogers and CBC sign a new seven-year sub-licensing agreement for English-language broadcasts of Hockey Night in Canada and the Stanley Cup playoffs. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

TORONTO -- Rogers Media and CBC have signed a new seven-year sub-licensing agreement for English-language broadcasts of "Hockey Night in Canada" and the Stanley Cup playoffs.

The agreement announced Tuesday begins in 2019-20 after the end of a current deal between the media giant and the public broadcaster.

Rogers is in its fourth year of a 12-year, $5.2-billion agreement with the NHL for exclusive media rights.

The deal included a four-year sub-licensing deal to allow the CBC to air "Hockey Night in Canada." That agreement was later extended by a year.

The seven-year extension, which also includes digital streaming rights, means CBC will carry "Hockey Night in Canada" until the end of the Rogers deal.

"CBC has been an excellent partner over the years and we are excited to extend our relationship," Rogers Media president Rick Brace said in a statement. "Hockey Night in Canada is the most celebrated hockey brand in the country and is steeped in tradition. We are committed to working together to ensure it reaches the widest possible audience."

"Hockey Night in Canada" was the cornerstone of CBC's sports programming for decades before Rogers and the NHL struck their huge deal.

While CBC can still show the popular NHL program, Rogers receives all revenue from "Hockey Night in Canada" broadcasts and has complete control over the show under the existing deal. Rogers said it will continue to produce the games and exercise editorial control through its Sportsnet broadcasting arm through the announced extension.

CBC will continue to show nationally televised regular-season games on Saturday night as well as all four rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

"Our priority in coming to this new agreement was to ensure Canadians continue to have access to Saturday night hockey on CBC and an overwhelming majority of our audience told us they want it to be on CBC," CBC Sports executive director Greg Stremlaw said in a statement.