CBC ends NHL broadcasts after 74-year partnership
Hockey Night in Canada will no longer air on the public broadcaster after the 2025-26 season, ending a tradition dating back to 1952.
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CBC will stop broadcasting NHL games after the current season ends, marking the end of a 74-year broadcasting partnership and the end of Hockey Night in Canada as Canadians have known it.
Sportsnet and CBC announced Tuesday morning that the public broadcaster will no longer carry NHL broadcasts beginning with the 2026-27 season. The decision comes after a successful 12-year partnership.
"After a successful 12-year partnership, Sportsnet and CBC today announced the public broadcaster will no longer carry NHL broadcasts after the current season as it moves forward with a new sports programming strategy following the unprecedented success of the Milano/Cortina Olympic Games," the joint statement reads.
"Watching hockey on Saturday night is a time-honoured tradition for Canadians, and Sportsnet is privileged to continue delivering that tradition. This has been a terrific partnership, and both parties look forward to continued opportunities to collaborate in the future."
CBC has broadcast NHL games since 1952, making this a major shift for Canadian hockey fans. There is no word yet on what may happen with the Hockey Night in Canada brand.
Sportsnet will continue broadcasting NHL games going forward. Rogers, Sportsnet's parent company, holds a 12-year deal with the NHL that began for the 2025-26 season, believed to be worth roughly C$11 billion. While Hockey Night in Canada as a Saturday-night institution has officially ended, Sportsnet may look to replicate the tradition under a new format.