RCI
Rogers is keeping its hockey seat
Rogers Communications is extending its grip on one of Canada’s most dependable TV obsessions: the NHL. The company said it has agreed with Quebecor to a new 12-year sublicensing agreement for French-language national NHL games in Canada, with the deal kicking in for the 2026-2027 season.
That’s not exactly a tiny side quest. Sports rights are the media world’s version of prime beachfront property: expensive, competitive, and weirdly important when you’re trying to keep eyeballs glued to your ecosystem.
Why investors should care
For Rogers, the deal matters because live sports still pull in audiences when almost everything else is getting skipped, muted, or rage-quit after 12 seconds. If Rogers can keep premium hockey content in its orbit, that can help support subscriber engagement, ad inventory, and the broader value of its media assets.
For Quebecor, the agreement keeps French-language NHL coverage in its lane, which matters in a market where language and sports fandom are basically emotional infrastructure.
The bigger play
This looks less like a flashy headline-grabber and more like a long-term chess move. Rogers isn’t buying a shiny new toy; it’s keeping a core content engine humming.
- Live sports remain one of the last reliable TV drawcards.
- NHL content helps anchor premium media packages.
- Long-dated deals like this can reduce uncertainty around programming and audience retention.
Big picture: in a world where streaming menus are basically digital clutter, Rogers is betting that hockey still gets people to actually show up and watch.