The NHL has "put its media rights negotiations on hold until at least the end of the year," according to sources cited by Ourand & Lefton of SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL. The league started to have "initial conversations with interested networks earlier this year." But sources said that those talks "ended once the pandemic hit, and they are not expected to start again until the NFL completes its own media rights deals." The NFL and media companies expect to have their deals "completed by the end of the year." NBC, which has a right-of-first-refusal clause in its current deal, has "made it clear that it wants to keep the NHL." Both ESPN and Fox have told the league that they are "interested in the rights, as well." NHL execs have said that the "major technology companies have showed interest, too." The league also has made it clear that it "favors splitting its package with at least two television networks and, potentially, a tech company." NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has said that he "would like to have multiple networks marketing his league" (SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL, 6/15 issue).
