MILAN, ITALY - FEBRUARY 12: Gary Bettman during a press conference, PK, Pressekonferenz on day six of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games, Olympische Spiele, Olympia, OS at Milano Santagiulia Ice hockey, Eishockey Arena on February 12, 2026 in Milan, Italy. Milan Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena Italy *** MILAN, ITALY FEBRUARY 12 Gary Bettman during a press conference on day six of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on February 12, 2026 in Milan, Italy Milan Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena Italy Copyright: xJustPictures.ch/AndreaxBrancax jp-en-EuSpIm-AB-AAB_773412022026
MILAN, ITALY - FEBRUARY 12: Gary Bettman during a press conference, PK, Pressekonferenz on day six of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games, Olympische Spiele, Olympia, OS at Milano Santagiulia Ice hockey, Eishockey Arena on February 12, 2026 in Milan, Italy. Milan Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena Italy *** MILAN, ITALY FEBRUARY 12 Gary Bettman during a press conference on day six of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on February 12, 2026 in Milan, Italy Milan Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena Italy Copyright: xJustPictures.ch/AndreaxBrancax jp-en-EuSpIm-AB-AAB_773412022026
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said this week that the league does not need to finalize new national media rights deals before the NFL even starts to negotiate. The league’s confidence stems from past success, when its last round of talks tripled the previous value.
Bettman spoke on this in an interview with CNBC's Julia Boorstin at the Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference.
When he was asked about the pressure to move quickly to meet the NFL's timeline, Bettman explained that the NHL last negotiated its current deals in 2021.
“The NFL is a great property, and we understand that it’s prominent in the media landscape,” Bettman told Julia Boorstin of CNBC.
“But interestingly enough, the last time we had to negotiate the current deals [in 2021], it was in the wake of what the NFL had done, and we managed to get triple what we were getting [previously].”
The NFL has been slow to announce new media talks, offering little public indication of progress.
Bettman elaborated on the league’s confidence: “The NFL has a large footprint,” Bettman said. “In this environment, if they sneeze, we’ll probably get pneumonia.”
When he was discussing a potential early renewal with ESPN, Bettman said the league would be ready “to go at any time.” That is only if a deal comes together that works for both sides.
Bettman mentioned that the NHL remains the only major U.S. league without an actual streaming-exclusive partner. Their priority is to ensure that fans can access games however and wherever they want.
The NHL is hoping TNT Sports could end up under Paramount’s ownership once the company’s pending acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery is closed. That could be a new opportunity for the league.
Renegotiations Set to Begin Next Year
Bettman talked about a similar situation about a month earlier, as mentioned in an article by Front Office Sports. He spoke to reporters before Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Hurricanes and Golden Knights.
At the time, he confirmed that renegotiations with ESPN and TNT Sports are set to start next year. The NHL now enters the sixth year of its current media rights deals with both networks.
Those deals are worth $4.5 billion combined over seven years, running through the 2027–28 season. Bettman said, “We’re not at the point where we’re in firm negotiations.”
The NHL enters this process strongly. Last year, the league also signed a 12-year, $7.7 billion Canadian rights deal with Rogers Communications.
The NFL could also start new TV talks of its own, possibly this year. If that happens, it could bring a huge shift in the sports media market even before the NHL gets to negotiate.
Read more at NHL Fan Central!
Written by
Aadhya Nalla