Canadian public-service broadcaster CBC is considering dropping its NHL ice hockey rights as a cost-cutting measure, according to the Hollywood Reporter website.
Kirstine Stewart, CBC’s executive vice-president of English services, told employees there was no certainty that the broadcaster would renew its deal with the NHL, the top North American league, when its current contract comes up for renegotiation. CBC has two more seasons remaining in a six-year deal with the league, from 2008-09 to 2013-14. CBC uses the rights in its long-running Hockey Night in Canada programme, which has broadcast weekly on Saturday nights since 1952.
The government said last week that it would reduce its financial contributions to CBC by a total of C$115 million (€88 million/$115 million) over the next three years – a cut of about 10 per cent of the total subsidy provided by the government between now and 2015.
CBC is axing more than 250 jobs from its English-language radio and television services as a result of the cuts.