Bettman: The NHL Is Working on Backup Plans for Local Broadcasts

The NHL has been on the clock, so to speak, in expectation of a reworked deal with Diamond Sports Group for the local media rights of 11 teams. That agreement has yet to materialize, but league commissioner Gary Bettman said contingency plans are actively being prepared should the NHL need to step in to produce and distribute broadcasts.

“The biggest concern is making sure fans have access to our games,” Bettman told the Dallas Morning News. “We’re preparing alternatives for clubs. We’re going to make sure we’re in a position where games are available, and we’re going to seek to evolve with the times because the model has obviously been under some stress.”

Bettman’s comments arrive more than six weeks after the NHL was said to be nearing a deal to get back certain local rights ahead of schedule in return for contract modifications for DSG, the bankrupt parent of the Bally Sports regional sports networks. The NBA struck a similarly revised deal with DSG and will regain its affected rights at the end of the 2023-24 season, setting up a potentially historic intertwining of that league’s local and national media rights in its next cycle. 

While the NHL’s pact remains in development and DSG’s long-term survival is still an open question, Bettman said the league is actively working to establish a new economic framework for its local media rights, just as the NBA and MLB are doing.

“The longer-term business strategy is something that’s going to have to evolve,” Bettman said.

The NHL’s local rights contemplation coincides with Amazon’s reported consideration of an investment in DSG, a scenario that could materially change the company’s outlook.