The NHL has signed a six-year partnership with MLBAM in which MLBAM and baseball’s overall media division will now operate the NHL’s digital operations, streaming services and NHL Network, according to multiple sources. The deal, valued at approximately $1.2B to the NHL over the course of the contract, will give the league a 7-10% equity stake in BAM Tech, a third-party business. MLBAM will take over operations of the websites of the league and its 30 clubs, all mobile applications, and its GameCenter Live streaming video service. MLB also is in the process of securing strategic investors to help accelerate the growth of BAM Tech, and the NHL will be now be part of that effort.
With the new deal, MLBAM will work with the NHL on programming and production, and pay the league approximately $100M a year in rights fees. The partnership will be formally announced during a conference call this afternoon hosted by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, NHL COO John Collins, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred and MLB President of Business & Media Bob Bowman.
