Games on Prime will no longer be broadcast on Mondays

Marc-Olivier Cook
Games on Prime will no longer be broadcast on Mondays
Credit: X

The landscape of NHL broadcasting in Canada is about to undergo a major change.

Rogers and Prime Video have announced a 12-year sublicensing agreement that will allow Amazon to broadcast part of the National Hockey League's schedule in Canada. Specifically, Prime Video will air Wednesday night games (rather than Monday games, as was the case last year) nationwide in Canada.

The streaming platform will also hold the rights to select Stanley Cup playoff series.

Each year, Prime Video will also broadcast two first-round matchups and one second-round series—a new development that is likely to change the viewing habits of many hockey fans.

Although Rogers remains the primary holder of NHL national rights in Canada, this agreement marks another significant step toward sports broadcasting on streaming platforms…

We know that Amazon is investing more and more in sports rights around the world.

The company already broadcasts several major events, notably in the NFL, and is now expanding into the world of Canadian hockey.

For fans, this means that a cable subscription will no longer be enough to access the entire NHL's national broadcast schedule. Those who want to watch Wednesday night games as well as certain playoff series will also need to subscribe to Prime Video… which isn't exactly ideal.

Because let's face it: it's expensive to subscribe to multiple platforms just to follow a sports team's games.

Amid all this, one might also wonder how this news will impact the Canadiens' games. We know that Prime will broadcast seven Canadiens games next season… and we can expect them to be these:

  • October 14 vs. the Caps (7:30 p.m.)
  • November 18 vs. the Devils (7:30 p.m.)
  • November 25 vs. the Avalanche (9:30 p.m.)
  • December 2 vs. the Lightning (7:30 p.m.)
  • January 6 vs. the Bruins (7:30 p.m.)
  • March 10 vs. the Bruins (7:30 p.m.)
  • March 24 vs. the Sens (7:30 p.m.)

That said, there are other questions to consider as well.

Will the games be broadcast in French? Will any of the Canadiens' playoff series be moved off TVA Sports to air on Prime? Stay tuned… 

It will therefore be interesting to see how fans react to this change. Perhaps some will appreciate the quality of the productions offered by streaming platforms… but that's not a given either.

One thing is certain: the traditional broadcasting model continues to evolve. With this new 12-year deal between Rogers and Amazon, Prime Video is securing a prominent place in the daily lives of hockey fans across Canada for the next decade.


In a Nutshell

– Nice. 

– Oh, really?

– Stay tuned.

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