NHL News: How Can the NHL Continue to Grow?

Gary Bettman announced that the National Hockey League is about to start what will be the most lucrative season in the league's history. The league is expected to make $5.2 billion in revenue this season. Much of that revenue will come from new broadcasting deals with Turner Sports and ESPN that began last season and are worth over $625 million annually to the NHL.

The NHL was founded in 1909. The first season included five teams. Boston Bruins joined the league in 1924. Chicago, New York, and Detroit joined in 1926. Original Six teams won the most Stanley Cups. 1967 saw the NHL expand from 6 to 12 cities. 1974 saw expansion to 18 cities and in 1979 the addition of four teams from the World Hockey Association. In the early 90s the League added 5 teams in rapid succession. Today the NFL has 32 teams, including recent additions in Seattle and Las Vegas.

There is a growing interest in sports betting in the USA and Canada. The NHL has multiple media broadcasting deals. It is hoped that this will increase interest and increase viewership. The new broadcast rights agreement will run through the 2027/28 season. There are also broadcasting agreements with Sportsnet Now, NHL Live and the CBC. In the region, the NHL splits broadcasting rights with TSN and Sports Net.

Women's leagues are introducing more female fans to the sport of hockey. Minor leagues provide an entry point for new fans. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman wants to see more women playing hockey and attending NHL games. The NHL has seen steady growth in recent years. It faces challenges in terms of player safety and concussions.

Hockey's player base has increased by 20% in the last 20 years. The sport's popularity is due to the increasing accessibility of equipment and facilities and the increase media coverage of hockey.

The internet has made it easier than ever to follow your favorite team on the internet. This has helped fuel the growth of the NHL. NHL is one of most popular sports in the world. It used to be that you had to go to the arena or have access to a cable TV package to watch NHL games. Now, there are a number of ways to stream games online.