NHL inks seven-year broadcast deal with Turner Sports

The NHL has made official a seven-year broadcast deal with Turner Sports to air hockey games on TNT and TBS.

The contract kicks off next season and will run through the 2027-28 campaign as Turner joins ESPN as a rightsholder in the United States. As part of the new agreement, Turner Sports will televise the Winter Classic and the New Year’s Day outdoor game in all seven seasons of the deal.

They’ll also get hold of the Stanley Cup Final in 2023, 2025, and 2027, with one conference final series each season, half of the first two rounds of the playoffs, and 72 regular season games per campaign.

“This agreement with the National Hockey League brings one of the most prestigious championships in sports to TNT and fuels our entire Turner Sports and Bleacher Report portfolio with even more premium content for many years to come,” said WarnerMedia chairman Jeff Zucker. “We’re delighted to spotlight the world’s best hockey league on our leading networks, while continuing to further elevate this marquee property through an ever-expanding array of digital platforms in the years to come.”

The deal will hold live streaming rights and simulcast rights for HBO Max, as well as digital rights for Bleacher Report.

As a whole, this is huge news for the NHL. Starting next year the league will be taking in just under $1-billion in T.V. deals, depending on the exchange rates. The ESPN deal will see them bring in $400-million, while the Turner deal brings in $225-million. Lastly, the Canadian T.V. deal will bring in roughly $350-million from Rogers.

Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@oilersnation.com.