North American ice hockey’s National Hockey League is understood to be looking into launching a dedicated NHL channel in Europe from next season, 2013-14.
The channel would carry English-language coverage but it is thought that the NHL would look to roll out local-language versions in any territory where it fails to find a local-language broadcaster.
The plans, which are at an embryonic stage, come in response to the planned closure of ESPN America, the US sports channel distributed in Europe by the Disney-owned sports broadcaster ESPN. ESPN America currently has pan-European English-language rights to the league outside the Nordics.
Three media companies – pan-European sports broadcaster Eurosport, Liberty Media’s cable operation Chellomedia and premium sports channel operator Setanta – are in preliminary negotiations about buying ESPN America. If ESPN America were to be sold whole, the NHL would have to decide whether to leave its English-language rights with the new operator or push ahead with its own channel. It is understood that the league has not ruled out doing a deal with a new operator.
The NHL sold its rights in Europe, the Middle East and Africa to two agencies, Medge Consulting and Advisers Media International, in a five-year deal, from 2011-12 to 2015-16, worth between $20 million (€15.4 million) and $22 million per year. Any new strategy would almost certainly have to be worked out in close collaboration with the two agencies.