“Hockey Night in Canada” Leaves CBC After Nearly 75 Years
“Hockey Night in Canada,” the iconic National Hockey League broadcast that has aired on CBC Television for nearly 75 years, will no longer be available on Canada’s public broadcaster starting next season.
The decision follows the expiration of a sublicensing agreement between Rogers Communications and CBC, which allowed the beloved Saturday night game show to air on the network through the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs. The two parties have chosen not to renew the deal for the upcoming 2026–27 NHL season—the first year of Rogers’ new 12-year, $11 billion national broadcast rights agreement with the league.
In a joint statement released Tuesday, Sportsnet and CBC confirmed the change: “After a successful 12-year partnership, Sportsnet and CBC announced today that the public broadcaster will no longer carry NHL broadcasts after the current season as it pursues a new sports programming strategy following the unprecedented success of the Milan-Cortina Olympics.” The statement added: “Watching hockey on Saturday night is a time-honored tradition for Canadians and Sportsnet is privileged to continue to uphold that tradition.”
A National Institution Faces Change
While CBC retains ownership of the “Hockey Night in Canada” brand and may use it in future programming, this marks the first time in history that the traditional Saturday night broadcast will not be accessible to Canadian viewers via the public broadcaster.
Michael McKinley, author of Hockey Night in Canada: 60 Seasons, expressed mixed emotions: “I can’t imagine it. I mean, I can imagine it. I don’t want to imagine it.”
Chris Wilson, CBC Sports’ managing director, acknowledged the significance of the shift: “It’s definitely kind of the end of an era… But we choose to view it as an opportunity rather than a loss.” He noted that while some Canadians may no longer have free access to NHL games on CBC, the broadcaster is focused on its next chapter.
CBC Shifts Focus to Broader Canadian Sports
The CBC plans to fill its Saturday night prime-time slot with a new program designed to spotlight Canadian athletes competing domestically and internationally. The network intends to broadcast the upcoming Commonwealth Games, women’s professional leagues, and more than 20 major world championships.
Wilson explained that the move aligns with CBC’s long-standing emphasis on amateur sports and broader athletic storytelling, rather than exclusive reliance on professional leagues like the NHL.
A Legacy Rooted in Canadian Culture
“Hockey Night in Canada” first aired on CBC in 1952 and quickly became a cultural touchstone for generations of Canadian families. Legendary broadcasters such as Foster Hewitt, Bob Cole, Dick Irvin, Don Cherry, Ron MacLean, and Dave Hodge helped shape its identity, alongside signature elements like the baby blue blazers featuring the iconic puck-and-stick logo.
James Nadler, chair of the arts media radio and television program at Toronto Metropolitan University, reflected on the show’s impact: “It was the original appointment television for Canada every Saturday night.”
How We Got Here
Rogers first entered the NHL broadcasting picture in 2013 with a 12-year, $5.2 billion rights deal. A subsequent sublicensing agreement allowed CBC to continue airing English-language HNIC broadcasts, while a separate French-language deal was struck with TVA. Under this arrangement, Sportsnet retained editorial control and managed advertising, while CBC provided national reach and promotional support.
The most recent seven-year sublicensing deal began with the 2019–20 season and was widely seen as a way to preserve the tradition across multiple platforms—including CBC, Sportsnet, and Citytv. At its peak, HNIC consistently ranked among Canada’s top five weekly programs, reaching an average of 7.5 million viewers.
Despite the end of the CBC partnership, Rogers continues to expand its NHL coverage. The company recently concluded a two-season sublicensing deal with Amazon Prime Video for Monday Night Hockey and remains committed to broadcasting all playoff rounds and Saturday night games through Sportsnet.
The NHL also expressed confidence in the transition: “Saturday night NHL hockey is a staple in Canada and our partners at Sportsnet will continue this great tradition,” said Jon Weinstein, NHL chief communications officer.
As the curtain falls on an era, the legacy of “Hockey Night in Canada” on CBC endures—not just as a sports broadcast, but as a defining thread in Canada’s cultural fabric.
