The current overseas broadcasting deal expires after Pittsburgh Penguins and San Jose Sharks have concluded battle for the right to hoist the Stanley Cup.
An interesting summer lay in store then, no more so than for UK fans who have not always enjoyed the best coverage through Premier Sports.
Hence my surprise then when Rob Smith Surtees (something of an expert in the broadcasting rights of sports) alerted me to the fact that Premier Sports were emailing current and previous subscribers with their hockey coverage for next season.
Headlined “Over 600 Hockey Games Next Season On Your Home For Hockey” the below image has the “NHL” and “On the Fly” brand logos indicating that Premier Sports have secured the rights to broadcast the National Hockey League for next season at least..
An old email sent by mistake?
Doesn’t look that way, as the image shows the two teams competing for the 2016 Stanley Cup and also the “DEL” logo for the German Hockey League. The latter is something that Premier Sports does not currently cover and appears to be another addition.
So this the NHL on PS a done deal? Well apparently not, as unconfirmed sources say that there are still issues to be resolved.
On another note, the image also features the ‘Elite League” logo and the deal for next season is yet to be confirmed either, though it’s likely to do so.
***Upon release of this article I was informed by a subscriber who recently left PS, that the company urged said subscriber to stay, stating that PS had the rights for the NHL next season (2016/17)***
Back on October 6, 2015, it was announced that the International Media Group (IMG), and the National Hockey League have signed a multiyear agreement to market and distribute global media rights for the NHL outside the U.S., Canada and Nordic countries, beginning with the 2016-17 NHL season.
Link to a full article I wrote about that is here: http://wp.me/p2gDti-mj
So if indeed a deal has been struck with Premier Sports, this begs many questions.
How many years?
Will signal problems and blackouts be eliminated?
Will intermissions be featured or HNIC return as a feature?
Will there continue to be the conflict between the NHL’s official GCL product and Premier Sports coverage?
Time will only tell but it’s appears that Premier Sports may have dropped the ball a little by prematurely releasing this email.
UK Hockey Blog 
Urgh. I guess beggars can’t be choosers but I’d much rather the league let fans in the UK go it alone with NHL.live than have to put up with more of PS.
Very interesting mate,I’ve been a HockeyStreams subscriber for many years till that went belly up.I’ve no experience of the official NHL streams but will follow this with interest as I’m currently on the lookout for the best vehicle to satisfy my Leafs obsession for next season.
Really, really, really hope that they sort out the blackout situation. It’s an absolute joke having to pay for two separate subscriptions to follow what is very much a minority sport in the UK. I don’t want to watch the games Premier Sports select – I just want to follow my team – but as soon as the play-offs and Stanley Cup finals start Premier Sports takes priority. Rubbish for the customer.
God, this is so frustrating. I pay so much for live sport and the one American sport I’m into is on some shoddy channel with unbearably repetitive adverts and dreadful scheduling. £12 a month is a ridiculous amount of money. I pay that for all of BTSport inc Premier League, Champions League, Europa League, rugby premiership, NBA, MLB and UFC – and it’s all done professionally. Premier Sports expect people to pay that for drag racing and Argentinian B League soccer or whatever the hell it is they show. It’s suffocating NHL in a potentially lucrative market. Insanity.
Yes, I agree. GCL is a very decent product. Ideally I’d have NHL Network thrown in, I’d pay another £40 for that and get rid of the ridiculous blackouts.
I would like to know if Premier Sports is broadcasting the NHL in the UK for the2016-17 season, or if anyone else will be showing it as my TV package provider doesn’t have Premier Sports anymore!
Hello Simon, there has been no announcement as yet with negotiations apparently still ongoing. PR are said to be one party in talks.
On the subject of Premier Sports, I was told on their phone line that they didn’t have the EIHL this year? Does anyone know who does, if anyone?
On the subject of Premier Sports, I was told on their phone line that they didn’t have the EIHL this season. Can anyone confirm this, and does anyone know if a deal is in place at all?
EIHL tab has gone AWOL from their website so this looks like being true.
That’s what I thought. Surely they’ll be some deal with someone.
Anymore word on the rights just over 3 weeks before the season starts and no confirmation?
Hi Chris, no confirmed information as yet and I don’t wish to publish rumours. As soon as I know, an article will be online ASAP.