MTG Takes NHL Rights

STOCKHOLM: Modern Times Group (MTG) has taken on the exclusive distribution rights for the National Hockey League (NHL) in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland.

The deal with Medge Consulting gives MTG the exclusive rights for live coverage on free and pay TV as well as the Internet through the 2015-16 season in those territories. This includes some 1,300 NHL games each season for MTG’s pay-TV channels and Viaplay online multi-screen video service across the Nordic region. Select games will also be available on MTG’s free-TV channels.

In Sweden, the games will air on Viasat Hockey and Viasat Sport, with select games on TV10. Norwegian viewers can tune in to Viasat Hockey and Viasat Sport HD, as well as Viasat 4. TV 2 Sport will air the games in Denmark. In Finland, Viasat Hockey and Nelonen Pro will air the NHL games.

Hans-Holger Albrecht, the president and CEO of MTG, commented: “The NHL is the most watched ice hockey league in the world and attracts large TV audiences in the Nordic region, as well as stadium audiences when the games are played here. This reflects both the popularity of the sport and the fact that a number of Nordic ice hockey stars play in the League. This is a key sports right for us and this is the first time that we have secured the rights exclusively on a multiplatform and multi-country basis.”

"This is a landmark agreement that will deliver every NHL game to the Nordics for the first time ever," added John Collins, NHL’s chief operating officer. “This distribution partnership gives NHL fans in the Nordic countries unprecedented access to our games and our players. It’s a win for NHL hockey and a win for our fans.”

"We are excited that for the first time all of the NHL games will be broadcast by Viasat," said Peter Liljestrand, co-owner of Medge Consulting. "More games than ever before will be shown across all of the Nordic countries, including a highlights program, and makes this agreement one that will benefit NHL fans for many years to come."