The NHL returns to ESPN, sources confirmed.
In a seven-year deal that could be announced this week, ABC / ESPN will air four Stanley Cups, according to sources.
Canadian SportsNet first reported the deal. ESPN and the NHL declined comment.
The financial details of the agreement are not yet known. ESPN +, the network’s streaming service, is expected to have a significant presence in the future.
NBC Sports is in the final season of its 10-year deal, for about $ 2 billion. It had exclusive rights to the league in the United States, but the NHL plans to have multiple providers of its national broadcasts.
NBC could very well keep half the package and pick up the other three cups. In light of upcoming NFL deals in which it is expected to double the amount it pays for “ Sunday Night Football ” to $ 2 billion a year, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts said NBC Sports parent company will have to make “ tough decisions. ” about current relationships.
The company will close its NBC Sports Network at the end of the year, but could use USA Network and its subscription service, Peacock, for most games.
Fox is another candidate for the other half of the package, while CBS can’t be ruled out entirely.