The rights fees to televise or stream live sports have been escalating. The next major sports package up for renewal will be the National Hockey League. The current contract between the NHL and the Comcast owned NBC and NBC SportsNet expires at the end of the 2021-22 season, but negotiations for the renewal could begin this year.
Under the current ten-year agreement begun in 2011, NBC and NBC SportsNet paid the NHL $2 billion, or $200 million per season. This season, the two networks will televise 109 regular season games as well as 80+ Stanley Cup matchups (some early round playoff games will air on other Comcast owned networks including USA, CNBC and Golf Channel).
The rights fees for live sports continue to escalate. Here are some recent examples:
- In 2015, NBC and NBC SportsNet doubled its rights fees to retain the rights to the soccer’s English Premier League (EPL). Under the previous three-year agreement, the NBC networks had been paying $250 million. With the new six-year agreement through the 2021-22 season, the two Comcast networks will pay $1 billion.
- In 2016, both Turner and ABC/ESPN retained their rights to televise NBA games, at a hefty price increase. Collectively, the networks had been paying $930 million annually, an increase of 186%. The nine-year deal runs through the 2024-25 season and is worth $24 billion.
- In 2018 Fox extended its deal with Major League Baseball to include regular season games, the All-Star game and a number of post-season games including the World Series. Under the current eight-year agreement that runs through 2021, Fox paid MLB $4.2 billion. With the new seven-year deal ending in 2028, Fox agreed to pay $5.1 billion. MLB games also air on ESPN and TBS.
Televised sports remain popular: In 2018, sports accounted for 89 of the 100 most watched telecasts. Additionally, live sports are far less likely to be time-shifted compared to entertainment programs, ensuring ads will not be fast-forwarded. They also have appealing demographics. For cable networks, live sports are far more popular with viewers than studio shows.
As a result, the NHL, despite lower ratings than other major sports, can expect a sizeable increase in rights fees when negotiations begin for a new contract. Mark Lazarus, Chairman, NBC Broadcast, Cable, Sports and News, says, “We want to renew, and the league knows that, but only if it’s a deal that’s good for our shareholders and for the league.”
Similar to other prominent sports (NFL, MLB, NBA and NCAA Basketball Tournament), it’s possible the NHL could split its package among several networks, although Lazarus states NBC would prefer network exclusivity. “When you examine every sport that we have exclusivity such as the Olympics, the NHL, the EPL and upcoming INDYCAR in 2019. We have streamlined sales, programming and promotions to maximize revenue and in each of those cases, increased viewership. But the NHL is an attractive property that will likely see many suitors. We will have to see how it plays out.” In 2011, ABC/ESPN, Fox and Turner all made unsuccessful bids for the NHL package.
Digital companies such as Amazon, which live streams NFL games on Thursday night, and Facebook, which exclusively live streamed 25 MLB games in 2018, may also be part of the negotiations. Although digital companies have limited reach, Lazarus says “however, it's certainly possible that these companies may try to carve out exclusivity for some type of digital package.”
In 2021-22, the NHL will expand to Seattle. This will be the NHL’s 32nd franchise (25 of them in the U.S.). The new franchise will balance the league with four divisions of eight teams each. Seattle will pay an expansion fee of $650 million. This is a notable increase from the $500 million the Las Vegas franchise paid to join the league in 2017-18. Although new to the NHL, Seattle has a long history with hockey. In 1917, the Seattle Metropolitans of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association became the first U.S.-based team to win the Stanley Cup.
For the 2017-18 season, NHL revenue was $4.86 billion, doubling the total from the 2006-07 season. The NHL was aided by a record high $559.5 million in sponsorship deals. According to Forbes, the average NHL franchise in 2018 was valued at $630 million, a 6% increase from the previous year. Four of the franchises are valued at over $1 billion.
Despite its rosy economic status, there is some concern about a potential lockout. Since 1992, there have been four lockouts including one in 2004-05 that wiped out the entire NHL season. In September 2019, either the owners or Players Association can opt out of the current Collective Bargaining Agreement. This could create a lockout for the 2020-21 season. The current CBA was signed in 2013, ending in 2021-22.
At issue is revenue sharing and international hockey tournaments. Under the current agreement, a percentage of a player’s salary is withheld in escrow to safeguard against any revenue shortages. After the revenue is calculated at the end of the season, the players can get a refund. The Players Association wants that practice to end. NHL players also want to play in international tournaments including the Winter Olympics. After playing in every Olympics since 1998, in 2018 NHL players did not participate in the games.
Lazarus is optimistic the league and players will come to an agreement. “I think the NHL success goes to Commissioner Gary Bettman. He has made all the right moves as it relates to expansion, sponsors, media and the game itself. Right now, the NHL is an exciting product, with electrifying young stars, invigorating new markets and a more wide-open game.” Lazarus says NBC’s coverage has helped to grow the sport through innovations including the co-creation of the Winter Classic and Wednesday Night Hockey.
