NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman Excited For Growth Potential With Two National Rightsholders Bettman also addressed opportunities in sports betting and social media By Brandon Costa, Director of Digital
Thursday, October 21, 2021 - 2:16 pm
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
With an expansion franchise, two new arenas, and two new national broadcast rightsholders in the United States, this may be the wildest National Hockey League season in recent memory. For NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, this isn't stressful; its exciting.
At SportsBusiness Journal's World Congress of Sports, Bettman addressed the return of ESPN, the addition of Turner, and the latest in growing the game through sponsorships and sports betting.
On the return of ESPN as a national rightsholder:
The song is back. The level of promotion that led up to the game was phenomenal. The investment that they made in production and talent and cameras and all of the ways that they are covering the game was great. They are putting a tremendous amount of production capability behind us. I was at the game [on Opening Night] so I couldn't hear what most of the commentary was but [lead play-by-play announcer] Sean McDonough was a pro. As much as I could tell, the studio setup was great.
They treated this like a big event which makes us feel good about our game because we think our games are a big event. We feel there's a real genuine excitement. We have camera operators on the ice during TV timeouts; we had to work on that together. I guess the best thing I can say about it is its clear to us that there's an energy and excitement on behalf of ESPN and The Walt Disney Company to have us. We're thrilled to be with them. It's palpable.
The way that we structured this deal is really an attempt by both of us to be forward looking with a key element in ESPN+ being our direct-to-consumer [play]. So we have traditional linear and we have the digital platforms while I think is going to put us both in good stead as the broadcast industry continues to evolve.
I think in terms of promotion and platform, being back on ESPN brings us back to a more traditional sports fan. Hockey fans got separated from ESPN because there wasn't as much coverage. With my tongue in my cheek, if ESPN is half as good at promoting us as they were at freezing us out when they didn't have our rights, this is going to be great.
On the addition of Turner Sports:
I have known Jeff Zucker for years and we're excited about being with WarnerMedia.
Turner, I think tends to skew a little younger; digital facing with Bleacher Report. So I think for us, having been in one place when the other three majors were on multiple platforms being promoted, I felt it was important that we be in both places. I have great confidence in both the ESPN and the TNT relationships. They are used to being in the sandbox together because they both have NBA rights. So I think this is going to be a wonderful collaboration for all of us. We're something new for both of them and they are excited about that and this is an opportunity for us to reach more fans and even bring in more casual fans.
On the changing generational demographics:
There are a couple of aspects to that. One is we need to continue to use technology to help our fans connect with games in ways that they want to. So, yes it's about linear and digital but we are going to be more data driven. We have tech partnerships with AWS, SAP, Apple, Sportradar, Verizon. We are creating more data. Our game is played faster than any other game with more non-stop action so to give fans an opportunity to follow that we are using puck and player tracking. In terms of 5G, while we think our in-arena experience has always been great, this is a chance to enhance that and make sure that fans want to be at the games. All of this is to give fans a context and an ability to connect with the game on their terms and we haven't even touched sports betting yet.
The other, which has been a priority of mine, is we as a league need to be more diverse and inclusive. We are spending more money and more resources to not only make sure that our game is more welcoming at the NHL level for people who are players, fans, or on the business side, but we also want to make sure at the youth level that there are programs and that the culture is one that is welcoming and accepting of everyone no matter who they are or what their background is. We've probably been the most diverse league in terms of the nationality of our players as more than 20 different countries are represented but we need to do a better job in embracing the changing demographics in North America.
On sports betting and other new sponsorship opportunities:
DraftKings is our tenth and newest daily fantasy/sports betting partner. We're trying to do this in a responsible way where people can be comfortable betting on our game if they want to. If you want to just do fantasy, you can do that. To the extent that more and more jurisdictions are added, this is another way to grow the game. Not unlike, during the pandemic when we allowed some branding on helmets and, beginning next season, very modest but appropriate branding on sweaters. Again, it's a way to continue to grow and maybe make up a little bit for the mess of the past 18 months.
We're in the infancy of sports betting. What it looks like today, and its exploding, it will continue to evolve in terms of where people and how people will be betting on sports and connecting with sports.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
26/03/2026
Extron and Audio-Technica have announced that their Design Solutions devices, Ce...
26/03/2026
SPORTEL Asia took place March 24-25 at the Orchard Hotel Singapore, drawing 370 participants representing more than 220 companies from 35 countries. Approximate...
26/03/2026
LTN will demonstrate satellite-to-IP migration solutions for broadcasters, cable networks, MVPDs, and station groups at NAB Show 2026 (Booth W2100).
The C-Ban...
26/03/2026
The Seattle Mariners have partnered with Daktronics to install an upgraded outfi...
26/03/2026
The Esports Foundation (EF) has awarded National Team Partner status to organizations and individuals across more than 100 countries and territories for the Esp...
26/03/2026
Telestream has announced expanded integration between its Vantage workflow platf...
26/03/2026
FOR-A Corporation has announced a partnership with Nippon TV and NVIDIA to distr...
26/03/2026
CBS Sports and the WNBA have expanded their partnership through a new long-term, multiplatform rights agreement. CBS Sports will feature up to 20 regular-season...
26/03/2026
Zac Brown Band will star in the Sunday Night Baseball show open on NBC and Peacock, NBC Sports announced. The open was filmed at American Family Field, home of ...
26/03/2026
Major League Baseball opens the 2026 season with nationally televised games across multiple media partners. Fans can visit MLB.com/Watch for a complete schedule...
26/03/2026
DIRECTV has announced an agreement to carry nine new MLB-operated team channels, covering the Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers (Detroit SportsNet), Kansas City R...
26/03/2026
Nationals.TV, the Washington Nationals' local broadcast channel, is now avai...
26/03/2026
Starting Thursday, March 26, MLB.TV will be available on the ESPN App, giving fans access to more than 2,000 out-of-market regular season games. Fans can also r...
26/03/2026
Spotify's partnership with NAVER, Korea's leading digital platform, is built around one simple goal: making it easier for listeners in Korea to discover...
26/03/2026
Exclusive to ComposerCloud for first month
Sample library and virtual instrument gurus EastWest have announced the upcoming release of a new virtual drum i...
26/03/2026
Friday 27 March
Friday 27 March will mark Dynamic Range Day 2026, the annual day of online activity that was started in 2010 by mastering engineer Ian Sheph...
26/03/2026
Includes four separate instruments
Max Richter's SRM Sounds venture have just announced their fifth release, ASMR Choir. Captured at the main live room ...
26/03/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC), has been tasked with administering the Sixth Presi...
26/03/2026
By Matt Klein
Hello to everyone reading this - whether you're a current YEP, HPA member, or just YEP-curious. I'm Matt Klein, one of the co-chairs of t...
26/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/03/2026
28 participating companies, from start-ups to blue-chips, lead the UK Group as part of the GREAT Britain and Northern Ireland presence across all the Halls at N...
26/03/2026
Arkona Unveils BLADE//planner and Major Usability Enhancements at NAB 2026
Brie Clayton March 26, 2026
0 Comments
New graphical configuration tool and...
26/03/2026
Bitfocus showcases complete control at NAB Show 2026
Brie Clayton March 26, 2026
0 Comments
Continuing development drives advances in security, availa...
26/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/03/2026
Nevion introduces powerful new Panel Builder to enhance VideoIPath broadcast con...
26/03/2026
2026 Oscar Nominated Films Powered by Blackmagic Design
Brie Clayton March 25, 2026
0 Comments
DaVinci Resolve Studio used on 27 of this year's no...
26/03/2026
Leader to present full suite of advanced Test & Measurement solutions at NAB Sho...
26/03/2026
Boston Conservatory to Present New England and Collegiate Premiere of Groundbrea...
26/03/2026
Thursday 26 March 2026
HBO Max included for Sky and NOW customers from 26 March...
26/03/2026
Thursday 26 March 2026
Sky Sets Iconic Costumes Dancing Together Like Never Before' in Brand CampaignTurn on cookies to view this content. Go to Privacy o...
26/03/2026
Wuppertal March 26, 2026
CS live Builds Future-Ready OB Van With Riedel MediorNet and hi Control SystemRiedel Communications today announced that Czech-based ...
26/03/2026
Back to All News
Have a Wish Worth Dying For? Netflix's First Korean YA Hor...
26/03/2026
Back to All News
The Truthers, Starring Jose Coronado and St phanie Magnin, Pre...
26/03/2026
Enhancements to Harmonic's Sports Streaming Solution Introduce Server-Side Multiview, Contextual Metadata-Driven Advertising, Dynamic In-Stream Ads and Robu...
26/03/2026
Open the report
Our 2025 report brings together results from 79 business magazine titles across 22 market sectors, published by 49 media owners. Over the year,...
26/03/2026
Editor's note: This post is part of Into the Omniverse, a series focused on ...
26/03/2026
RT Commercial today announced Fiat as sponsor of The Louise Duffy Show on RT Radio 1, Weekdays 3pm 4pm.
The Louise Duffy Show is the home of daytime music...
26/03/2026
That gaming backlog won't clear itself - GeForce NOW is here to help. Stream the latest titles straight from the cloud across a variety of devices.
This we...
26/03/2026
Wayne, N.J., March 26, 2026 Phantom High-Speed announces the latest product li...
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman Excited For Growth Potential With Two National Rightsholders Bettman also addressed opportunities in sports betting and social media By Brandon Costa, Director of Digital 
