Global InformationList of Montreal Canadiens broadcasters information
Montreal Canadiens games are broadcast locally in both the French and English languages. CHMP 98.5 is the Canadiens' French-language radio flagship.[1] As of the 2017–18 season, the team's regional television in both languages, and its English-language radio rights, are held by Bell Media.[2] CKGM, TSN Radio 690, is the English-language radio flagship; it acquired the rights under a seven-year deal which began in the 2011–12 season.[3] In June 2017, Bell Media reached a five-year extension.[2]
Regional television rights in French are held by Réseau des sports (RDS) under a 12-year deal that began in the 2014–15 NHL season.[4] A sister to the English-language network TSN, RDS was the only French-language sports channel in Canada until the 2011 launch of TVA Sports,[5] and was also the previous national French rightsholder of the NHL; as a result, the Canadiens forwent a separate regional contract, and allowed all of its games to be televised nationally in French as part of RDS's overall NHL rights.[6]
With TVA Sports becoming the national French rightsholder in the 2014–15 season through a sub-licensing agreement with Sportsnet,[6] RDS subsequently announced a 12-year deal to maintain regional rights to Canadiens games not shown on TVA Sports. As a result, games on RDS are blacked out outside the Canadiens' home market of Quebec, Atlantic Canada and parts of Eastern Ontario shared with the Ottawa Senators.[4] At least 22 Canadiens games per season (primarily through its Saturday night La super soirée LNH), including all playoff games, are televised nationally by TVA Sports.[7][8]
TSN2 assumed the English-language regional television rights in the 2017–18 season, with John Bartlett on play-by-play, and Dave Poulin, Mike Johnson and Craig Button on colour commentary.[9][2] All other games, including all playoff games, are televised nationally by Sportsnet or CBC.[10] Bartlett returned to Sportsnet over the 2018 off-season, and was succeeded by Bryan Mudryk.[11][12]
English-language regional rights were previously held by Sportsnet East (with Citytv Montreal as an overflow channel), under a 3-year deal that expired after the 2016–17 season; the games were called by Bartlett and Jason York. Prior to this deal, TSN held the rights from 2010 through 2014; the games were broadcast on a part-time channel with Dave Randorf on play-by-play.[13][1][14]
- ^ a b Faguy, Steve (August 18, 2014). "NHL broadcast schedule 2014–15: Who owns rights to what games". Fagstein. Archived from the original on August 22, 2014. Retrieved August 23, 2014.
- ^ a b c "TSN becomes official English-language regional broadcaster for Habs". The Sports Network. 13 June 2017. Archived from the original on June 13, 2017. Retrieved June 13, 2017.
- ^ "Bell Media's THE TEAM 990 Becomes Official Radio Broadcaster of the Montreal Canadiens in New Seven-Year Deal". Bell Media (press release). Archived from the original on April 8, 2012. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
- ^ a b "RDS, Canadiens announce 12-year regional rights deal". RDS.ca. December 20, 2013. Archived from the original on May 29, 2014. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
- ^ Magder, Jason. "New TVA Sports channel takes a shot at RDS". The Gazette. Montreal. Archived from the original on August 26, 2014. Retrieved July 27, 2011.
- ^ a b Cousineau, Sophie (November 28, 2013). "TVA to pay Rogers $120-million a year to be NHL's French-language broadcaster". The Globe and Mail. Toronto. Archived from the original on December 1, 2013. Retrieved December 20, 2013.
- ^ "TVA SPORTS DÉVOILE SON CALENDRIER". TVASports.ca. Groupe TVA. August 5, 2014. Retrieved September 20, 2014.
- ^ "NHL, TVA Sports launch French-language agreement". National Hockey League. September 22, 2013. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved September 21, 2014.
- ^ "TSN's regional NHL coverage features 191 games". The Sports Network. 2017-09-15. Retrieved 2017-09-15.
- ^ "Canadiens, Sportsnet ink new regional deal". Sportsnet.ca. Archived from the original on September 5, 2014. Retrieved September 2, 2014.
- ^ "Canadiens on TV 2018-19: Bryan Mudryk is new voice on TSN broadcasts". The Gazette. Montreal. 2018-10-02. Retrieved 2018-10-04.
- ^ "John Bartlett exits TSN Habs coverage, will handle Leafs for Sportsnet". The Gazette. Montreal. 2018-08-17. Retrieved 2018-08-23.
- ^ "Sportsnet Announces Montreal Canadiens Regional Broadcast Team". Sportsnet.ca. Archived from the original on October 4, 2014. Retrieved October 3, 2014.
- ^ "TSN Acquires Regional Rights to 24 Montreal Canadiens Games". CTVglobemedia (press release). October 21, 2010. Archived from the original on September 12, 2014.