The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation will stop broadcasting National Hockey League games after its sublicensing agreement with Rogers Sportsnet expires [1].
This shift ends a historic era of sports broadcasting in Canada, removing a cultural staple from the public broadcaster's lineup for the first time in decades. The loss of the Saturday night program signals a changing landscape for how professional sports are distributed across television and streaming platforms.
The agreement between the CBC and Rogers Sportsnet, the national NHL rights holder, expires at the end of the 2025-26 NHL season [2]. This means the broadcaster will no longer air the games starting in fall 2026 [2]. The two organizations were unable to reach a new sublicensing agreement to keep the games on the network [1].
This decision marks the end of a 12-year partnership between the broadcaster and Sportsnet [3]. It also represents the first time the CBC will not air NHL games since 1952 [3]. For more than seven decades, the network has served as a primary destination for hockey fans across the country.
The program, known as "Hockey Night in Canada," will cease to air on the CBC television network and the CBC Gem streaming platform [1]. This removal affects viewers nationwide who have relied on the public broadcaster for free access to the sport.
CBC officials said that the network will pivot its focus toward other sports content. "After a successful 12-year partnership, we are moving forward with new programming for Canadian athletes on CBC and CBC Gem," a CBC spokesperson said [1].
“The broadcaster will no longer air the games starting in fall 2026.”
The departure of the NHL from the CBC marks a transition from traditional public broadcasting toward a more fragmented, commercial-led sports media model. By consolidating rights within Rogers Sportsnet, the NHL and its rights holders can drive viewers toward subscription-based services and proprietary streaming platforms, potentially reducing the accessibility of the sport for Canadians who lack cable or specialized sports packages.
