End of NHL broadcasts on CBC raises public access questions, advocacy group says

A media advocacy group says the end of NHL broadcasts on CBC television raises concerns about public access to a cherished Canadian tradition.

Friends of Canadian Media says “Hockey Night in Canada” has been a shared national experience for generations and is calling on policy-makers to consider rules to prevent major cultural and sporting events from moving exclusively behind paywalls.

Sportsnet and the CBC announced Tuesday that NHL broadcasts will not return to the public broadcaster next season, ending a nearly 75-year run on the network.

“Its departure from free television raises important questions about whether Canada should adopt anti-siphoning rules, similar to those used in other countries, to ensure that events of exceptional cultural and national significance remain accessible to all Canadians rather than exclusively to paying subscribers,” Friends of Canadian Media, a non-partisan advocacy group founded in 1985, said in a statement.

“As NHL broadcasts move further behind paywalls, Canadians risk losing access to a cornerstone of our cultural life. At a time when affordability remains a growing concern, public access to the stories, traditions, and events that connect us should not be treated as a luxury.”

Anti-siphoning rules are used in some countries to preserve free access to major cultural and sporting events. The United Kingdom, for example, has a list of “crown jewels” that must be made available for live coverage on free-to-air TV, including the men’s and women’s World Cups.

A sub-licensing agreement with Rogers Communications allowed the CBC to continue airing NHL games on Saturday nights and during the playoffs after Rogers acquired the league’s national broadcast rights in 2013. But that deal expired with Rogers’ new 12-year, $11-billion NHL contract set to kick in next season.

The move means no Canadian teams from the four major North American men’s professional sports leagues — the NHL’s seven Canadian franchises, the NBA’s Toronto Raptors and MLB’s Toronto Blue Jays — are currently slated to appear on free-to-air television.

“This development underscores the vital role of public broadcasting in ensuring that Canadian cultural experiences remain accessible to everyone. Unlike private corporations, the CBC exists to serve Canadians, not subscribers,” the Friends of Canadian Media statement read. “While we recognize the commercial realities of sports broadcasting, the loss of NHL games from Canada’s public broadcaster represents a significant reduction in universally accessible Canadian programming.

“We encourage policy-makers, regulators, broadcasters, and streamers to consider the broader public interest when negotiating the future of major cultural and sporting events.”

Gord Johns, a New Democratic Party member of Parliament from B.C., said watching the NHL should be accessible to all Canadians, noting that some people will be priced out or live in remote communities where access can be limited.

“It is disappointing that the corporate structures of the big Rogers and others have taken over the bidding process,” Johns said. “Now it just means a number of people are excluded from getting a chance to watch their favourite sport, especially people in the North and remote areas, people that don’t have the economics to be able to access Rogers.

“It’s a sad day for Canada when CBC’s not broadcasting the NHL anymore … I hope that they’ll revisit it and continue to ensure that CBC is really a reflection of Canadian culture and not just our news, but our culture and our way of life — and hockey’s part of that.”

The CBC said it plans to launch a new Saturday night prime-time show that will “highlight Canada’s athletes as they compete at home and around the world.”

Specifics on the programming for the time slot weren’t available, but the network plans to showcase the upcoming Commonwealth Games, women’s professional leagues and more than 20 major world championships.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 16, 2026.

— with files from Nick Murray in Ottawa and Gregory Strong in Toronto.