NHL: The Walt Disney Company (ESPN) acquires 2021-2028 TV rights in the United States for $2.8bn

The Walt Disney Company, parent company of the American sports pay-TV channel ESPN, has acquired the rights to broadcast, in the United States, the National Hockey League (NHL) for seven years, the 2021-2028 period, indicated the American entertainment and media group on 10/03/2021. The deal, which brings American ice hockey back to ESPN for the first time since 2004, also includes international TV rights in Latin America, the Caribbean, and parts of Europe.

The Disney group is expected to pay $2.8bn (€2.23bn) over the seven seasons, or $400m per year (€325m) according to American media. ESPN's parent company succeeds the audiovisual group NBC, broadcaster of the NHL since 2005, which is said to pay $200m per season (€162.8m) for the rights.

The new deal includes the broadcasting of Stanley Cup (NHL Finals series) games in the United States, including four of the seven editions from 2021-22 on the national, free -TV ABC channel (also owned by Disney), with the option to simultaneously broadcast on ESPN+ (OTT) and other networks.

25 regular season games will be broadcast exclusively…