The National Hockey League (NHL) has taken the reins on local team broadcasts as part of an expansion of its centralised production model.
From the start of the 2026/27 season, NHL Productions will provide services for the Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues, with more clubs expected to be announced before the campaign begins.
The league said it will oversee all aspects of production, including live game coverage, studio programming, graphics, replay systems and technical operations.
Steve Mayer, NHL President, Events and Content, said that adding live production capabilities will allow the NHL to introduce “groundbreaking technologies, innovative graphics and bold creative concepts” that will improve fan experience.
The NHL will also support clubs with the distribution and monetisation of regional broadcasts, hoping to create commercial opportunities and reduce reliance on third parties.
“As the regional media landscape continues to evolve, clubs need flexibility to maximise distribution and revenue from their local broadcast model,” said David Proper, NHL Chief Media Officer and Senior Executive Vice President. “
Proper explained that the new model aims to increase the value of media rights by opening doors to new suppliers, as well as allowing teams to manage investments more effectively as they rely less on outside production teams.
“At the same time, it provides a foundation for the next generation of NHL production technologies and broadcast innovations,” added Proper.
McGlarry hired to lead NHL’s media strategy
The NHL has appointed Robert McGlarry as General Manager of Local Media to oversee the expansion, placing him in charge of the league’s growing centralised production operation.
McGlarry has decades of experience in sports broadcasting positions, though his time as the vice president, broadcasting business affairs at Major League Baseball (MLB) is perhaps the most notable for NHL clubs.
According to his LinkedIn, McGlarry negotiated affiliation agreements with distributors for the launch of MLB Network, the dedicated cable and satellite sports television channel focused on baseball.
He closed deals with 30 video distributors, including seven of the top eight video distributors at the time. He also negotiated and drafted multibillion-dollar media agreements with ESPN, Fox and Turner while serving as senior counsel for MLB.
More recently, he held the position of President of MLB Network, where he oversaw production, programming, operations and affiliate relations of MLB Network and NHL Network.
Since leaving the MLB Network in 2021, McGlarry has provided media advisory services to sports teams, leagues and networks.
Leagues bringing production in-house
The NHL joins a list of leagues moving production responsibilities in-house. The Premier League, for instance, will launch Premier League Studios from next season after ending its two-decade production partnership with IMG.
The new in-house operation is part of the league’s media strategy, which also includes the launch of its direct-to-consumer (D2C) streaming service, Premier League+, in Singapore.
Premier League+ is just an example of what can be achieved by having greater flexibility over how content is created, distributed and monetised. However, this doesn’t mean that D2C streaming platforms are the goal for every league.
Despite the English football division stating that it might launch the platform in additional countries in the future, it would struggle to generate the same revenue as it does through rights deals.
For the league to earn its 2024/25 domestic broadcast revenue of £3.37bn, and every monthly subscription priced at £10 Premier League + would need at least 31.416 million paying subscribers per month.
