Canada's Free Hockey Broadcasts End as Rogers Claims Exclusive Rights

Rogers Sportsnet terminated its sublicensing deal with CBC on June 16, 2026, ending 28 years of free Hockey Night in Canada broadcasts. Rogers holds exclusive rights through 2037–38 and has no commercial incentive to share games with a public broadcaster. Both Sportsnet and Amazon Prime now control distribution behind paywalls, cutting off cord-cutters and rural viewers without cable access.