Sportsnet is lifting 150 NHL blackouts this season - roughly one removed restriction for every 3.7 games in its 550-plus-game national schedule.
Sportsnet President Greg Sansone - a former reporter and broadcaster himself - announced that the network is going to present 35% more national broadcasts, and lifting 150 regional blackouts which will allow fans to see more of the teams they love:
Sportsnet will showcase more games than ever before with 35% more national broadcasts than last year and fewer blackouts, giving fans unprecedented access to the NHL's biggest stars and best moments.
It's something that fans have been clamouring for since the expansion of Sportsnet's coverage, as despite having a stranglehold on broadcasting NHL games, many fans were unable to experience them due to blackouts - and coupled with Canadian broadcasting regulations - never could.
Sportsnet is eliminating 150 blackouts by turning regional NHL games into national broadcasts
But now Sportsnet is making a genuinely positive change in how they present games to the fans, as under the new rights setup, they can transition those regional games into a wider-viewed national broadcast.
A regional Leafs, Oilers, Flames or Canucks telecast is normally limited to that club's designated broadcast territory. Once Sportsnet designates one of those games as national, that territorial restriction disappears for the Sportsnet broadcast.
150 games isn't a minuscule number, and for those hardcore fans who want to watch more than just their chosen team are now going to have even more options to watch. It also makes rivalries a little more heated knowing that it's easier to follow along and watch games they otherwise couldn't - such as watching a Senators game in the Toronto area.
Regional blackouts have been the bane of sports fans' existence ever since the invention of sports broadcasting on television. With how much expansion there has been in the streaming industry, it's actually surprising that Sportsnet is now just implementing a more national broadcast strategy.
The fans will benefit from being able to watch more games and more teams, meanwhile Sportsnet gets a lot more advertising exposure and a chance to earn more revenue. It's a win-win for both parties.
Monday Night Hockey's streaming shift creates a second access question for Leafs fans
Also part of that increased revenue is also due to the fact that they have shifted their Monday Night Hockey broadcast to be a Sportsnet+ exclusive.
The streaming service is an additional package that needs to be purchased regardless of a prior Sportsnet package. For example, if you have Bell TV and access to Sportsnet and their various outlets (SN360, East, West, Pacific, Ontario) - you still need to pay $12.99+tax to upgrade and access those games.
It's part of a new-look Monday Night lineup with David Amber, Luke Gazdic, and Justin Williams leading the panel, as they look to become the new voices Monday Night Hockey on Sportsnet.
But for those loyal diehards who were wondering about Elliotte Friedman's future, fear not. He, alongside Ron MacLean, Kevin Bieksa, and Colby Armstrong will be leading the panel for Saturday's broadcasts - which do not need that additional subscription.
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You'll still get to enjoy Friedman's 'Saturday Headlines' segment, and the iconic MacLean will once again be a familiar voice for fans and it's a good decision on Sportsnet's behalf to keep some familiarity instead of changing everything.
Monday now becomes its own separate entity that's accessed through a premium subscription. It may give fans some reservations, but the benefit of being able to access otherwise unaccessible games is a selling point to many, and it solves an issue that annoyed fans for decades.
Saturday Night Hockey is still going to be a fixture in households though, even if the traditional Hockey Night in Canada is no longer being presented.
Are you happy that Ron MacLean is back hosting hockey on Sportsnet?
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