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ESPN Formally Lands U.S. Rights For World Cup Of Hockey; NBC Points To Conflicts

The NHL and NHLPA today formally announced that the U.S. media rights to the '16 World Cup of Hockey have been awarded to ESPN, with Canadian English-language rights going to Sportsnet and French-language media rights to TVA Sports. For ESPN, the deal makes it the exclusive net for all tournament games on TV and radio, with most games set to appear on ESPN and ESPN2. The net will also provide live access to coverage through WatchESPN. Sportsnet and TVA also have exclusive rights to all tournament games across TV, online and mobile. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman addressed the fact that the league and NHLPA signed a deal with ESPN rather than NBC, which signed a 10-year, $2B deal for the league’s TV rights in '11. “We have a terrific relationship with NBC Sports and we love the way they cover our game,” said Bettman. “They were involved in the process but it became clear in the course of negotiations that they have scheduling issues, and it made sense to be partnered with ESPN in this regard.” An NBC spokesperson said, “As the home of hockey in the U.S., which includes rights to the NHL through 2021, the World Championships through 2017 and the Winter Olympics through 2030, we were interested in working with our partners again, but this event proved challenging due to programming commitments.” The spokesperson cited conflicts with NASCAR, F1, Notre Dame football, PGA Tour, Ryder Cup and Paralympics.

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: January 17, 2025

The business behind Unrivaled; Sixth Street's significant women's soccer push and NBA looks to move the ball on NBA Europe

ESPN’s Burke Magnus, HS&E’s David Levy and Venu’s failure to launch

On the pod this week, co-hosts Austin Karp and Mollie Cahillane take a deep dive into the NFL Wild Card viewership results, Venu Sports’ demise and DirecTV’s new “MySports” streaming offering. Later in the pod, ESPN President of Content Burke Magnus joins the duo to discuss the start of TGL, the network’s efforts to cover the events around the Sugar Bowl and how close they are to locking up Stephen A. Smith. Finally, Horizon Sports & Experiences co-CEO and former head of Turner Sports David Levy stops by to talk about his group’s involvement in Unrivaled, while also reflecting on the NBA moving away from TNT next season.

SBJ Presents: ONE Championship Co-Founder and Group President Hua Fung Teh Sponsored by ONE Championship

Explore ONE's explosive growth worldwide and the upcoming event in Denver, ONE 168.

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