Canadian media and telecoms giant Rogers will sublicense its National Hockey League (NHL) rights to regional French-language broadcaster Quebecor for the duration of its 12-year media rights agreement with the league.
Rogers extended its NHL rights deal for a 12-year term back in April 2025. That deal, worth a lucrative $7.7 billion, begins with the upcoming 2026-27 campaign, and now, the media giant has confirmed it will sublicense some of those games for French-language coverage in the province of Quebec.
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Quebecor-owned TVA Sports and TVA Sports Direct will air as many as 350 regular-season NHL games per year for the next 12 years, including 32 games per season featuring the local Montréal Canadiens franchise, as well as any Canadiens post-season playoff fixtures (should the iconic team qualify).
That number represents an increase of 10 Canadiens games per year over the terms of the previous sub-licensing deal, also 12 years, which was struck in 2013 and began in earnest in 2014.
In terms of post-season Stanley Cup Playoffs coverage beyond speculative Canadiens fixtures, Quebecor has acquired six of the eight First Round series matchups, three of the four Second Round series, the entirety of both Conference Finals series, and the Stanley Cup Finals.
Quebecor platforms will also air all of the NHL’s annual tentpole events, including the likes of the All-Star Game, and the outdoor Heritage Classic, Winter Classic, and Stadium Series games.
Alongside TVA Sports and TVA Sports Direct, coverage will also be disseminated through Quebecor’s illico+ OTT streaming service for the first time.
This latest tie-up means Rogers and Quebecor will have collaborated for French-language NHL coverage for 24 consecutive seasons.
Speaking on the deal, Quebecor chief executive and president Pierre Karl Peladeau said: “Premium sports content, such as NHL hockey and Montréal Canadiens games, remains a unique driver for rallying audiences in real time. We consider ourselves fortunate to be a partner in our national sport and to offer French-speaking Canadians even more [Canadiens] games on our local platforms. We are also grateful for the close collaboration of the Montréal Canadiens organization.”
As 24-time Stanley Cup champions, the Canadiens are one of ice hockey’s most storied franchises, and boast a massive following in Canada, particularly Quebec.
After failing to qualify for the playoffs in three consecutive seasons between 2021-22 and 2023-24, the team returned to the postseason fold in each of the last two years, making it as far as the conference finals in the 2025-26 campaign, falling to the eventual champion Carolina Hurricanes.
Streamer Prime Video will air French-language coverage of a further seven Canadiens games next season as part of its own sub-licensing deal announced in July with Rogers.
Meanwhile, TVA Sports' French-language rival RDS will air the remaining 45 Canadiens regular-season games, dialing its coverage back from 60 games a year prior, reflective of the NHL's move to an 84-game season.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman added: “For the past 12 seasons, TVA Sports’ French-language broadcasts have connected our game with millions of passionate hockey fans across Quebec and Canada.
“Our expanded partnership with Rogers and Quebecor reflects our shared commitment to serving fans, growing the game, and ensuring that hockey’s biggest moments are available to all audiences.”
Rogers’ bumper NHL rights deal covers both English- and French-language rights, spanning linear, digital, and streaming, and the new 12-year agreement will see increases in the number of nationally broadcast games and reductions in the number of regional broadcast blackouts.
The $7.7 billion fee represents an increase of more than double the $3.6 billion value of Rogers’ last 12-year agreement with the NHL, illustrating the growth in value of elite sports rights in North America.
Quebecor's 12-year sublicensing deal between 2014 and 2026 was reportedly valued at CA$700 million ($506.9 million), and with the growth in NHL rights and TVAA Sports' increased commitment, it is possible that Quebecor will now be paying over $1 billion (in both Canadian and US dollar terms) through this new deal.
