Stanley Cup champion extends local rights deal

NHL ice hockey team Chicago Blackhawks has agreed a three-year extension to its partnership with local broadcast rights-holder WGN-TV.

WGN-TV has been one of the flagship stations for television broadcasts of the reigning Stanley Cup champion since the start of the 2008-09 season. Its current deal wasn’t due to expire for another two years, but under the extension will now run through the 2018-19 NHL season.

Under the agreement, WGN-TV will broadcast 20 regular-season Blackhawks games each year on free, over-the-air television.

WGN-TV is Chicago’s network affiliate of the CW broadcast network in the US.