NHL Lockout: Broadcasters, advertisers feeling the pinch as season melts away

TORONTO - In hockey-mad Canada, the continuing NHL lockout has turned the pro league toxic with fed-up hockey fans. But what about broadcasters and NHL sponsors now facing cancelled TV games through December 30 during stalled labour talks? “We miss it every night that we don’t have a live game. We miss the audience that it brings to our network,” TSN president Stewart Johnston, told Cartt.ca. On weekends, the sports channel had offset much of the impact of the NHL lockout by counter-programming CFL games against Hockey Night in Canada’s older games on the CBC. Stewart said the real crunch...