OPINION: What losing Hockey Night in Canada should make us ask

On Saturday nights, millions of Canadians weren't just watching hockey. They were participating in one of the few experiences that still belonged to all of us. For generations, Hockey Night in Canada on the CBC has been more than just a hockey broadcast - it has been a national tradition; one that brought people together to cheer, debate, celebrate, and occasionally commiserate. Hockey fans will still be able to watch NHL games through Sportsnet. But the departure of Hockey Night in Canada from Canada's national public broadcaster raises a much bigger question: should all Canadians have affordable access to the moments that bring Canadians together? As our television watching habits continue to evolve, so too does the way broadcasting rights are bought and sold. Increasingly, major sporting and cultural events are secured through exclusive agreements that can limit how widely those events are available. Innovation and competition have brought Canadians more viewing choices than ever before, but they have also made access more fragmented. Within a matter of weeks, Canadians learned that Saturday night NHL broadcasts would leave CBC, Sportsnet announced another increase in subscription prices, and Rogers entered into a new long-term exclusive arrangement with Amazon Prime for Wednesday night NHL games. None of these decisions, taken individually, is surprising in a competitive marketplace. Together, however, they illustrate a broader trend: more exclusive rights, more subscription services, and higher costs for Canadians who simply want to participate in shared national experiences. For many Canadians, another subscription isn't simply inconvenient - it's one more reminder that participating in our shared culture increasingly comes with a monthly fee. Nor should where you live determine whether you can participate. Many Canadians, particularly those in rural and remote communities, still rely on traditional over-the-air television or face barriers to reliable high-speed internet. This isn't about resisting change or suggesting that every event belongs on a public broadcaster. The broadcasting landscape has evolved, and Canadians have embraced streaming and new ways of watching television. But it is worth asking whether some events are different. Hockey Night isn't important because it's hockey. It's important because it's one of the last places Canadians still meet one another. Shared experiences spark conversations in classrooms, workplaces, community centres, and living rooms across the country. Programming such as The Junos or Canada Day celebrations create memories that cross generations and remind us of what we have in common. Just look at how Canada’s recent FIFA World Cup run captured the country’s imagination – even in our fragmented broadcast landscape – and what it could mean if the next edition were broadcast in every household in the country. Other democracies have recognized this. Countries including Australia, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and European nations have adopted what are known as Anti- Siphoning policies. While the details differ from country to country, the principle is the same: before nationally significant sporting or cultural events can be made exclusively available through subscription services, opportunities are created to ensure those events remain broadly accessible to the public. Canada has no comparable framework. It is possible that even the most well-crafted anti-siphoning policy would not have saved Hockey Night in Canada on the CBC. But the loss that many Canadians are feeling right now is a reminder that long-standing public access to cherished traditions cannot be taken for granted. As exclusive broadcasting agreements become more common, Canadians should ask whether there are certain moments that deserve broader public access. Because some moments are more than a simple consumer product – they are vital components of our national life. This is not simply a question about hockey. It is a question about culture, affordability, accessibility, and what kind of broadcasting system Canadians want for the future. And that debate is bigger than any platform. It comes down to how we want to tell our collective story, as Canadians. So, as shared moments start to become few and far between, Canada should have a thoughtful conversation about how to protect them. Because some moments should belong to everyone. Raj Shoan is the executive director of Friends of Canadian Media. The positions and opinions expressed by The Wire Report columnists and contributors are solely reflective of the author’s perspective and do not necessarily reflect The Wire Report’s views or values.

OPINION: What losing Hockey Night in Canada should make us ask

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By Raj Shoan
|July 31, 2026

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OPINION: What losing Hockey Night in Canada should make us ask

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