Canada’s national broadcaster will no longer air National Hockey League games on Saturday nights, a first in about 75 years, ending a cultural institution and, for many Canadians, a national treasure.
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, which first aired “Hockey Night in Canada” in 1931 as a radio broadcast, and Rogers Sportsnet, the N.H.L. rights-holder, could not come to terms on a sub-licensing deal. The two companies announced on Tuesday that the agreement would not be renewed for the 2026-27 season.
“Watching hockey on Saturday night is a time-honored tradition for Canadians, and Sportsnet is privileged to continue delivering that tradition,” the companies said in a joint statement.
“Hockey Night in Canada” debuted on television in 1952 and has been the country’s longest-running telecast, airing Canada’s national sport and obsession as appointment viewing on Saturday nights. The CBC held exclusive Saturday night rights through the 2013-14 season.
The CBC had entered into a sub-licensing deal with Sportsnet, which is owned by Rogers Communications Inc., the telecommunications and media giant, 12 years ago to jointly carry N.H.L. broadcasts.
The CBC received no advertising revenue from the “Hockey Night” telecasts, but also did not pay Rogers Sportsnet for the rights to the Saturday night games under the deal. The taxpayer-funded broadcaster had previously come under criticism for its spending on N.H.L. rights.
The show gave millions of viewers a reason to sit in front of their television sets every Saturday night, a ritual that came to represent national pride, quality time with family and participating in a shared cultural experience.
Importantly, because “Hockey Night” was hosted by the public broadcaster, it was free and available over-the-air — that will cease.
“To me, that’s sacrilegious,” said Liam Maguire, a N.H.L. historian, author and former sports radio host at Rogers. He believes Canadians ought to have some form of free access to watch the country’s seven teams, based in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto. “It’s the end of an era,” Mr. Maguire added.
Rogers Sportsnet is the national English-language rights-holder for the N.H.L. and Major League Baseball.
“Hockey Night” viewership on CBC reached a 12-year low this season, while the Sportsnet audience share grew, Jason Jackson, a spokesman at Rogers Sportsnet, said in an email, without providing specific figures. The company has previously said that an average of 1.5 million viewers tuned in to the Stanley Cup playoffs in 2024, and that a record 7.5 million watched Game 7, which aired on “Hockey Night.”
A representative from the CBC referred questions about viewership to Rogers Sportsnet.
In April, Rogers Sportsnet announced it had renewed the rights to N.H.L. games in a 12-year deal worth 11 billion Canadian dollars ($7.9 billion), beginning in October at the start of the 2026-27 season. At the time, it did not clarify the CBC agreement.
“Hockey is Canada’s game and we’re proud to be the home of hockey,” Tony Staffieri, the chief executive of Rogers, said in a statement in April. “Sports are core to our company, and these rights are the most valuable sports rights in Canada.”
The catchphrases of the CBC’s Foster Hewitt, the legendary play-by-play announcer who began on the radio in 1931, are ingrained in the memories of every Canadian of a certain age. “He shoots, he scores!” and “Hello, Canada, and hockey fans in the United States and Newfoundland,” are practically proverbs.
Rogers Communications also owns the Toronto Blue Jays and 75 percent of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, which owns the Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Raptors, Toronto FC and the Toronto Argonauts.
The CBC said it planned to launch a prime-time show featuring Canadian athletes in the Saturday night slot.
