Rogers Communications and Quebecor announced on Sept. 3, 2026, that they have agreed to a new 12-year sublicensing agreement for French-language national NHL games beginning with the 2026-27 season, according to GlobeNewswire PE. Under the agreement, Quebecor will hold French broadcasting rights for up to 350 regular-season NHL games per season, including 32 Montréal Canadiens regular-season games and all Montréal Canadiens games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, according to GlobeNewswire PE.
Distribution across TVA Sports, TVA Sports Direct, and illico+
As an official French-language NHL broadcaster, TVA Sports and TVA Sports Direct will distribute all games covered by the new agreement, with the illico+ platform joining the broadcast ecosystem, according to GlobeNewswire PE. The announcement described TVA Sports as broadcasting up to 350 regular-season NHL games.
Canadiens and Stanley Cup Playoffs coverage details
The agreement includes 10 more Montréal Canadiens regular-season games than under the previous agreement, according to GlobeNewswire PE. It also includes six of the eight First Round series of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, three of the four Second Round series, the Conference Finals, the Stanley Cup Final, and all NHL tentpole events, according to GlobeNewswire PE.
Executive statements and related Rogers NHL rights deal
Pierre Karl Péladeau, President and Chief Executive Officer of Quebecor, said Quebecor’s executive leadership and Board of Directors are “proud to carry on a long-standing tradition that brings together French-speaking Canadians around the NHL and the Montréal Canadiens,” and he thanked the League and Rogers for recognizing what Quebecor has been building together since 2014, according to GlobeNewswire PE. Péladeau said “premium sports content, such as NHL hockey and Montréal Canadiens games, remains a unique driver for rallying audiences in real time,” and said Quebecor considers itself fortunate to be “a partner in our national sport” and to offer French-speaking Canadians “even more Habs games on our local platforms,” while also thanking the Montréal Canadiens organization for close collaboration, according to the same release.
Tony Staffieri, President and CEO of Rogers, said ensuring hockey fans have comprehensive French-language coverage of NHL games is a “top priority,” and said Rogers has had “a terrific partnership with TVA Sports for many years,” adding that Rogers looks forward to continuing to work together to deliver more NHL games to more French-speaking Quebecers and Canadians, according to GlobeNewswire PE.
Gary Bettman, Commissioner of the NHL, said that for the past 12 seasons TVA Sports’ French-language broadcasts have connected the game with “millions of passionate hockey fans across Quebec and Canada,” and said the expanded partnership with Rogers and Quebecor reflects a shared commitment to serving fans, growing the game, and ensuring hockey’s biggest moments are available to all audiences, according to GlobeNewswire PE.
The release also said that last year Rogers and the NHL announced a 12-year agreement for the national media rights to NHL games on all platforms in Canada from the 2026-27 through the 2037-38 seasons, according to GlobeNewswire PE.
Widely known context: NHL media rights agreements are typically structured as multi-year packages that specify platform distribution and postseason inventory. Widely known context: In Canada, French-language broadcast rights are a key component of national sports media distribution alongside English-language coverage.
