NHL fans will now have to pay to watch games on Sportsnet. What that means for Rogers — and CBC

The National Hockey League season came to a close this month and with it came the end of an era as longtime partners Rogers and CBC were unable to come to a new agreement for NHL broadcasts.

So fans will no longer find NHL games on CBC platforms and will, at this point, only be able to watch if they pay for a Sportsnet cable or streaming subscription.

Rogers Sports and Media, the parent company of Sportsnet, recently renewed its agreement with the NHL for the exclusive Canadian English television broadcasting and streaming rights in an $11.2-billion deal for the next 12 years.

It first acquired those rights in 2013, for $5.2 billion at the time, but struck an agreement with Canada's public broadcaster to air playoff games and regular-season games featuring Canadian teams on its Saturday night show Hockey Night in Canada (HNIC) since 1952.

"As the sports rights world evolved, we did our best with Rogers to find a path forward," Chris Wilson, the executive director of CBC Sports, told CBC's The National. "We were unable to find a solution that satisfied both partners."

CBC will no longer air NHL games in 'end of an era' as broadcast deal expires

'Major shock': Canadians grapple with loss of CBC's Hockey Night in Canada tradition

The cable and telecommunications giant will also no longer air NHL games on its traditional over-the-air channels CityTV and OMNI, meaning that for the first time in 74 years there will be no men's NHL hockey on conventional television in Canada. Though sports experts say fans will likely be disappointed by the move, there are other opportunities for CBC to draw viewers to emerging leagues.

Hockey Night in Canada ends after CBC, Rogers fail to extend deal

Wilson told CBC's The National that