"Horrible outcome"; "Coverage is awful": Hockey fans gutted after NHL, Rogers agree to 12-year TV deal worth $7.7 billion

Hockey fans are disappointed with the NHL's recent 12-year, $7.7 billion media rights deal with Rogers Communications. The new contract boosts the league’s revenue as the salary cap continues to rise.

The current 12-year, $5.2 billion deal with Rogers, signed in November 2013, is set to expire after the 2025-26 NHL season.

Many fans voiced their displeasure on social media, with one fan commenting:

"What a horrible outcome."

Another fan wrote:

"That sucks. Rogers' coverage of awful."

Here are some more reactions from fans on X/Twitter:

"After seeing what a great job, Amazon prime Hockey has done, I really think Sportsnet needs to step up their game for the next decade. I was hoping it was gonna be a TSN honestly," one fan said.

"This is a joke right? I don’t know a single person that can stand to watch @Sportsnet intermissions lol everyone changes the channel," a fan added.

"I have been surprisingly impressed with the @amazon Prime broadcast so I hope that Sportsnet does better going forward," one fan commented.

"Yikes. Rogers has only reduced the technical quality and options for subscribers since the separation from NHL CentreIce. This is a sad day. No access to games after 24 hours. No split-screen, no choice of feed. Sad," another fan wrote.

In 2021, the NHL secured a seven-year, $4.5 billion media rights deal with ESPN and Turner Sports for U.S. TV and streaming coverage.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman moves NHL transactions to U.S. Dollars

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has announced that the league will begin conducting all transactions in U.S. dollars rather than Canadian dollars during the GM meeting in March. This change comes in response to the fluctuating exchange rate between the two currencies.

“If the Canadian economy is impacted to the extent that the dollar declines, the Canadian dollar, vis-à-vis the U.S. dollar, we do everything in U.S. dollars, so that’ll have an impact potentially on our Canadian clubs and [hockey-related revenue]," Commissioner Gary Bettman said via YahooSports.com.

"But we’re hoping this is a moment in time and we get through this. I’m not weighing in politically," he added.

The league's revenue has grown in recent years, driven by TV and streaming deals, as well as jersey and helmet ads, dasherboard sponsorships and other sources.