NHL, XM Radio announce 10-year pact

• Recommend0
• Tweet0
• Comments0
• Email
• Print

NEW YORK -- Less than a month after signing a TV deal with Comcast, the NHL has inked a long-term radio contract.

On Monday, the NHL announced an exclusive 10-year, $100 million agreement with XM Satellite Radio. The network will become the league's exclusive satellite radio broadcast partner in 2007.

XM Satellite Radio, which has over 4.4 million subscribers, will begin broadcasting NHL games on opening night, October 5.

Last month, the league announced a multi-year pact with cable giant Comcast, which will televise at least 58 regular-season games on its Outdoor Life Network. XM Satellite Radio will cover over 1,000 games per season, including the All-Star Game, the Stanley Cup playoffs and the Stanley Cup Final.

"We're delighted to have XM as our newest satellite radio partner," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said. "At this exciting time in the league's history, a new partnership with XM allows us to offer hockey fans unprecedented NHL coverage on the nation's largest satellite radio service."

XM will create a dedicated NHL radio channel, which will be available in Canada through its partner Canadian Satellite Radio. CSR, which is funding a portion of the agreement, recently was approved by the Federal Cabinet as a licensed distributor of satellite radio in Canada.

"We are thrilled about the National Hockey League's decision to partner with XM Satellite Radio," XM president and CEO Hugh Panero said. "The clear winners of this partnership are the millions of hockey fans in the U.S. and in Canada who are incredibly passionate about their favorite NHL team and who will now be able to follow them regardless of where they call home."

• Recommend0
• Tweet0
• Comments0
• Email
• Print
• Subscribe