NHL embraces streaming as Jets-Leafs tilt broadcast only on Amazon

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This article was published 28/10/2024 (613 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg Jets fans got to peer into the future on Monday night.

No, this isn’t referring to a sign of things to come after a 6-4 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, the game was shown exclusively on Amazon Prime, which is only available to fans who have a subscription to the service.

Knowing that there could be some challenges with a game that was not shown on traditional cable, the Jets sent out a tutorial to help give fans a better idea of what was required to to tune in.

Amazon purchased the exclusive rights to select Monday night games from Rogers Sportsnet for the next two seasons and the Jets will be shown on four separate occasions in 2024-25.

The original Canadian national rights deal with Rogers, a 12-year contract worth $1.2 billion, is up at the end of the 2025-26 season and there’s been plenty of speculation over what the next one might look like — and who might actually be involved with the bidding process.

TSN and Rogers remain heavily invested in Canadian regional rights and with the decision by Rogers to purchase a larger stake in the Maple Leafs, it’s hard to imagine they won’t be heavily involved.

With the NFL joining the fray on Amazon several years ago and some Friday night MLB games being shown exclusively on Apple TV, it’s not a surprise to see Amazon dipping its collective toe into the NHL waters this season.

There’s a good chance Amazon works at expanding its footprint on the sports streaming side of things as well.

Earlier this month in Montreal, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman talked about the wide distribution of Amazon Prime compared to cable and talked about how viewing habits are changing for many sports leagues.

“As the media landscape continues to evolve with technology, there are going to be changes in distribution.”–Gary Bettman

“Most people have Prime. And as the media landscape continues to evolve with technology, there are going to be changes in distribution,” Bettman said.

“The world’s moving away from cable TV,” Bettman said. “Cord-cutting, cord-nevers continues and the reach of cable and satellite is not what it was and the world — putting us aside — is moving towards other forms of distribution.”

Amazon Prime will air 26 regular season games and they’ve been already been drawing rave reviews for their six-epiosde docuseries titled: FACEOFF: Inside the NHL — which has been providing behind-the-scenes access to players and teams in an effort to showcase some of the personalities.

There was some Manitoba content in the broadcast booth on Monday as former NHLer Jody Shelley served as a colour commentator with Thomas Hickey, while John Forslund handled play-by-play duties.

Amazon Prime also had an on-site panel that featured analyst Blake Bolden working with host Adnan Virk, with Andi Petrillo handling rinkside reporter duties.

Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff joined the broadcast during the second intermission and shared some thoughts on forward prospect Brayden Yager.

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Cheveldayoff was in Kelowna last Friday to see Yager and the Moose Jaw Warriors take on the Kelowna Rockets in Western Hockey League action.

The next Jets game on Amazon Prime is set for Dec. 30, when they host the Nashville Predators.

The two others feature a home game against the San Jose Sharks on Feb. 24 and another home game against the St. Louis Blues on April 7.

ken.wiebe@freepress.mb.ca

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Ken Wiebe
Reporter

Ken Wiebe is a sports reporter for the Free Press, with an emphasis on the Winnipeg Jets. He has covered hockey and provided analysis in this market since 2000 for the Winnipeg Sun, The Athletic, Sportsnet.ca and TSN. Ken was a summer intern at the Free Press in 1999 and returned to the Free Press in a full-time capacity in September of 2023. Read more about Ken.

Every piece of reporting Ken produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.