NHL looks beyond U.S., Canada for league growth

Irwin Kishner, co-chair of Herrick's Sports Law Group, was quoted in CNBC Sport in an article discussing the NHL's plans to capitalize on the global popularity of hockey. Through events both inside and outside of the U.S. and Canada, the NHL is looking to improve its standing in countries where the league does not yet have as strong of a foothold. The effort is currently centered in Europe, where hockey is already a popular sport and provides an opportunity for NHL growth. According to the article, [i]n all the initiatives expanding outside the U.S. and Canada, the NHL and the National Hockey League Players Association work together."

"Taking the NHL’s product outside the U.S. and Canada to grow its audience will give the league more bargaining chips the next time it negotiates media rights," according to Irwin. “The more eyeballs you have, the more valuable the signal can be,” Kishner said. “And it’s more that you can drive on sponsorship, the more that you can pay for players, the richer the league becomes.”

The article notes that the NHL's current media rights deal goes through the 2027-2028 season, and if the "recent sports media rights trends continue, the NHL would also be looking at a hefty increase it its contract value." The article also highlights that there are revenue opportunities at the individual team level through corporate sponsorship.

Read the full article in CNBC Sport here. Access may require a subscription.