NBC, Versus Ink 10-Year, $2B Deal To Retain NHL TV Rights

NHL deal with NBC-Versus to earn league largest-ever rights fee

NBC and Versus have signed a 10-year, $2B deal to renew the NHL's TV rights. Fox took a preliminary look at the package but never made a bid, and Turner pulled out of the bidding last week, saying it could not find a business model to support the money NBC and Versus are paying the NHL. ESPN said it had "constructive conversations" with the NHL, "offering them the opportunity for unprecedented distribution of every game of the Stanley Cup playoffs on ESPN platforms, including authentication to broadband and mobile devices." ESPN had committed to carry one regular-season game per week. But sources said the NHL never came back to ESPN with a final bid. ESPN remained involved in the bidding process until the end. But sources said it was t ...