CBC picks another national pastime to help fill Hockey Night in Canada void
Hockey Night in Canada, as we knew it, is gone.
As was previously announced, Saturday night NHL games will be broadcast exclusively on Sportsnet in Canada going forward. It ends a tradition on CBC television that first began in 1952.
It appears the CBC has picked another Canadian pastime to help replace it.
Curling is going to partially fill the void, as the Grand Slam of Curling and Rock League announced a new five-year broadcast agreement with CBC and Sportsnet.
The agreement will see curling featured on CBC television on select Saturday nights going forward, taking over time slots that were previously held by Hockey Night in Canada.
“CBC has a long history of curling coverage, and by providing a national platform to these premier curling tournaments for another five years, we hope to engage and entertain an even wider audience of fans,” said Chris Wilson, CBC’s executive director of sports and Olympics. “We’re excited to share another season of Rock League with audiences across Canada, building on the momentum and excitement of the inaugural event.”
“Having Sportsnet and CBC on board broadcasting more curling than ever is amazing for everyone involved and for the future of our sport,” said Canadian curling legend Brad Jacobs. “The more opportunities we have to showcase the game and the athletes at the highest level, the more we can continue to grow curling and bring new fans.”
Future of Hockey Night in Canada brand
While curling will fill some of the void, it does appear that hockey in some form will be broadcast on CBC going forward. The public broadcaster still owns the Hockey Night in Canada brand and plans to use it going forward.
“We’ll have more information about Saturday night programming available in the coming weeks,” a CBC spokesperson told Daily Hive earlier this week. “The Hockey Night in Canada brand will remain with CBC and we will reveal how we will move forward with it soon.”
We’ll see what the future holds for the Hockey Night in Canada brand, but perhaps women’s hockey could be a fit. The CBC is already a broadcast partner of the PWHL, which runs from November to May.