NHL/Rogers broadcasting rights agreement on-side: Competition Bureau

OTTAWA – Rogers’ lock on the NHL broadcast rights in Canada has not substantially lessened or prevented competition in any relevant market in Canada, the Competition Bureau has determined.The Bureau said that it reviewed Rogers’ $5.2 billion, 12‑year agreement for exclusive rights to all national NHL games “given the duration, significance and exclusive nature of this deal, as well as the fact that Rogers is a vertically‑integrated company with sizeable programming and distribution operations”. The review included consultations with advertisers, television service providers and distributors, as well as an analysis of evidence from the NHL, Rogers and other sources.After examining the...