Quebecor’s 12-Year Power Play for the Soul of Canadian Hockey

MONTRÉAL, QC – September 03, 2026

On the surface, the announcement was straightforward: Quebecor and Rogers Communications have renewed their vows, extending a sublicensing agreement that keeps French-language National Hockey League games on TVA Sports for another twelve years. It’s a deal that ensures the familiar voices and faces of the network will continue to narrate the highs and lows of the Montréal Canadiens and the wider league through the 2037-2038 season. For many, this is simply good news, a guarantee of continuity for a cherished cultural pastime.

But if you look past the corporate handshakes and the undisclosed price tag, you’ll find this is far more than just a broadcast deal. It’s a calculated, long-term strategic maneuver in the high-stakes game for Canada’s media future. In an era where global streaming behemoths are planting their flags on every form of content imaginable, Quebecor is drawing a line in the ice. This 12-year commitment isn't just about hockey; it's a bet on the enduring power of local identity, live sports, and a Canadian-owned media ecosystem.

More Habs, More Access: A Direct Win for Fans

For the millions of French-speaking hockey fans, the most immediate impact of the deal is a tangible upgrade to their viewing experience. The new agreement significantly increases the number of Montréal Canadiens games available on TVA Sports, jumping by ten to a total of 32 regular-season matchups. Furthermore, the network will broadcast all of the Canadiens' playoff games, ensuring fans won't miss a single moment of the postseason drama.

This isn’t a minor perk; it's a direct response to a deeply passionate market. The data from the 2025-2026 season speaks for itself: NHL games, particularly those featuring the Habs, attracted an astonishing 97% live viewership. During the regular season, Canadiens games captured nearly a quarter of the entire market share, a figure that exploded to 50% during the playoffs, drawing up to two million viewers for a single game. In a world of fragmented, on-demand entertainment, that level of live, communal engagement is the rarest of commodities.

Quebecor is also adapting to modern viewing habits by formally integrating its illico+ streaming platform into the broadcast landscape, alongside the existing TVA Sports and TVA Sports Direct services. This multi-platform approach acknowledges that the family gathered around a living room television is now joined by the commuter watching on a tablet and the student streaming on a laptop. By expanding access points, the company is ensuring it can reach its audience wherever they are, future-proofing its delivery model for a generation that expects content on its own terms.

The Business Behind the Puck Drop

From a market analyst’s perspective, a 12-year commitment in any industry is a bold statement. In the rapidly evolving media sector, it’s a seismic one. Quebecor’s President and CEO, Pierre Karl Péladeau, called premium sports content a “strategic asset that continues to grow in value,” and the logic behind this is sound. While scripted dramas and movies face endless competition, major live sports offer an appointment-viewing experience that is virtually immune to time-shifting and binge-watching. This makes it exceptionally valuable to advertisers seeking a captive audience.

The press release hints at a crucial enabler for this massive investment: TVA Sports' “stronger financial position, largely due to the rebalancing of carriage fees.” This seemingly innocuous phrase points to a significant behind-the-scenes victory. Carriage fees—the rates distributors like cable companies pay to broadcasters to carry their channels—have been a point of contention across the industry. A more favorable balance here has evidently improved TVA Sports’ bottom line, giving it the financial confidence to lock down this premier content for over a decade. It’s a testament to the company’s negotiating power and its successful argument that its content drives significant value for distributors.

This agreement provides Quebecor with immense stability. It can now plan its programming, advertising sales, and technological investments with a 12-year runway, a luxury few in media currently enjoy. It solidifies TVA Sports not just as a channel, but as the central pillar of the company’s sports content strategy, which includes everything from MLB and UFC to university football.

A Local Fortress in a Global Media War

Perhaps the most compelling story hiding in the data is the one about cultural and economic sovereignty. The press release explicitly mentions the need to compete as “giant foreign platforms expand their presence in professional sports.” This isn't abstract corporate jargon; it’s a direct reference to the new reality of the Canadian media landscape. Just this past July, Rogers itself announced a landmark 12-year pact with Amazon for “Prime Video Wednesday Night Hockey,” bringing one of the world’s largest tech companies directly into the Canadian NHL broadcast arena.

Viewed in this context, Quebecor’s deal is a powerful countermove. It frames the company as a defender of Canadian content and industry. By securing these rights for its “domestic platforms,” Quebecor argues it is “preserving jobs for sports journalism and television production professionals” and “keeping advertising and subscription revenues in Canada’s economy.” It’s a narrative that positions the company not just as a business, but as a national champion.

This strategy is about building a fortress. While global giants can offer a vast library of international content, Quebecor is doubling down on its unique, local advantage: a deep, unparalleled connection to the culture of Québec and French-speaking Canada. Hockey is the cornerstone of this fortress. The year-round editorial coverage, the pre-game shows, and the post-game analysis are all produced locally, by Canadian talent who understand the nuances of the market. This creates a moat of cultural relevance that foreign competitors will find difficult, if not impossible, to cross.

By securing the French-language rights for over a decade, Quebecor has ensured that a significant part of Canada’s national conversation around its national sport will continue to be hosted on Canadian platforms, generating tangible economic benefits at home. It’s a long-term, defensive, and deeply strategic play that recognizes that in the global media war, the most powerful weapon might just be a deep connection to home.