BeIN Sports, the international pay-TV giant, has bolstered its portfolio of US sports rights in France with the addition of ice hockey’s NHL for the upcoming 2023-24 season.
NHL rights in France were previously held by pay-TV broadcaster Canal Plus.
The one-year deal completes BeIN’s US sports offering as it already holds rights to American football’s NFL, basketball’s NBA and WNBA, baseball’s MLB, and NCAA college basketball and football.
BeIN claims the acquisition of the NHL makes it the first broadcaster in Europe to offer live coverage of all major US sports leagues.
The Qatar-based operator will broadcast at least two live NHL matches per week with commentary and several other games through its ‘PureLive’ service (without commentary). It will also air the NHL All-Star Weekend, select matches from the Stanley Cup playoffs, and the entire Stanley Cup final.
During the season, BeIN will also air the NHL Global Series 2023 which features regular season games in Sweden and the 2024 NHL Winter Classic (regular season outdoor game between the Golden Knights and Kraken at T-Mobile Park in Seattle).
BeIN’s coverage will begin with two opening night games - the Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Chicago Blackhawks and the Las Vegas Golden Knights vs. Seattle Kraken.
The NHL regular season begins on Tuesday (October 10).
