AMC bolster ice hockey rights in Czech, Slovakia with SHL

Media group AMC Networks acquired rights to the Swedish Hockey League in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, bolstering its ice hockey portfolio.

The two-season deal, covering 2019-20 and 2020-21, will see AMC broadcast 110 games from the SHL, Sweden’s top-tier ice hockey league, on its Sport1 and Sport2 pay-television channels. It broadcast its first match, between Leksands Idrottsförening and Malmö Redhawks on September 14.

AMC agreed the deal with the Commercial Sports Media agency, which has an advisory agreement with the SHL.

The SHL further enhances AMC’s portfolio of ice hockey rights in the two countries. It currently holds rights to the pan-European Champions Hockey League (from 2016-17 to 2019-20) and the multi-territory Kontinental Hockey League (from 2017-18 to 2020-21).

Rights to the Extraliga, Czech Republic’s ice hockey league, are held by pay-television broadcaster O2 TV in a five-season deal, from 2018-19 to 2022-23.