Ice hockey’s new Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) has announced broadcast agreements with TSN and RDS, the Canadian sports networks owned by multimedia firm Bell Media, for its inaugural season.
As well as the regular season, TSN and RDS will show the PWHL playoffs and the inaugural 2024 PWHL Championship.
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TSN will cover PWHL games live across its linear television channels and the TSN+ streaming service, with French-language coverage available on RDS. TSN platforms will also offer breaking news, highlights, scores, game recaps, moments from around the league, and content on social media channels.
The debut season of PWHL began on Monday (January 1) with TSN providing coverage of New York’s 4-0 win over Toronto in the opening game.
The deal comes shortly after it was announced Sportsnet, the cable sports broadcaster owned by Canadian telecommunications group Rogers Communication, will broadcast select games from the inaugural season.
Sportsnet aired the season-opener between New York and Toronto and will broadcast a further 16 games from January to March with additional games to be added at a later date.
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By GlobalDataAll games shown on the main Sportsnet channel will also be available to stream on the Sportsnet+ platform.
Sportsnet also holds domestic rights to the men’s National Hockey League (NHL).
Stan Kasten, PWHL advisory board member, said: “Rogers has become synonymous with hockey in Canada through its partnership with the NHL, bringing professional hockey to fans from coast-to-coast through its media properties, team investments, and league sponsorships.
“This exciting partnership with the PWHL is yet another extension of Rogers’ commitment to growing the game and bringing Canadians the best professional hockey experiences.”
The PWHL has announced a wider partnership with Rogers that will see the company serve as the official telecommunications partner of the league in Canada under a multi-year agreement.
Through the tie-up, Rogers will offer live games, behind-the-scenes content, and “unique fan experiences.”
The telecoms giant will create custom content with the PWHL to engage fans, including an exclusive, behind-the-scenes social series.
Rogers has additionally announced a partnership with the PWHL Montreal franchise in which it will be featured prominently on the team's helmets and through in-arena signage and promotions.
Meanwhile, Air Canada has been named as an inaugural premier partner of the PWHL and the official airline for the league's first six teams.
As part of the deal, Air Canada is granted intellectual property rights for all six PWHL teams in Boston, Minnesota, Montreal, New York, Ottawa, and Toronto, the PWHL itself, broadcast, in-venue, and in-market assets, as well as official jersey branding rights for Montreal.
The airline will also provide travel support for the league and its players and will promote the PWHL across its marketing and communications channels.
The PWHL deal also builds on Air Canada's prior partnerships in professional women's hockey and women's sports including with the Women's National Basketball Association, as well as the planned Project 8 professional women's soccer league in Canada.
Air Canada serves as the official airline to all seven Canadian NHL teams, the Toronto Raptors in the NBA, and Team Canada.
In recent months, the PWHL agreed sponsorship deals with equipment manufacturer CCM Hockey and Canadian Tire Corporation.
