PHF Extends Exclusive Rights Agreement with ESPN
August 24, 2022 – Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) News Release
BOSTON, MA – The Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) announced today that ESPN will continue to be the exclusive home of the PHF in the United States for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons. The two-year agreement with ESPN features live coverage of the PHF regular season, special events, and the Isobel Cup Playoffs in the U.S. streaming live on ESPN+, and provides international rights for games which includes TSN in Canada.
“ESPN’s continued commitment to champion the PHF and be teammates to make women’s professional hockey accessible to more fans, worldwide, is a victory for our sport and the entire PHF community. Their support bolsters the PHF mission of growing the game long-term and building the best, and most sustainable home for women’s professional hockey,” said Reagan Carey, PHF Commissioner. “Extending our valued relationship with ESPN over the next two years ensures we can showcase talented athletes and competitive action on the ice, share incredible stories off the ice, provide our partners with a platform to connect with fans, and engage our dedicated fan base while introducing the PHF to a larger worldwide audience.”
The pinnacle of the first-year agreement during the 2021-22 season was the championship final between the Boston Pride and Connecticut Whale that aired live on ESPN2 and was the network’s first linear broadcast of professional women’s hockey.
“We are excited to align with the PHF in support of growing the game and providing greater access to watching this first-class league,” said Patrick Costello, Director of Digital Media Programming, ESPN. “As we track the growth of women’s hockey around the world, we are energized by the significant advancements made by the PHF since our relationship began last season, and the exceptional growth on the horizon.”
In Canada, live coverage of the PHF is available to TSN subscribers through the network’s five television feeds as well as live streaming via TSN.ca and the TSN app. PHF games that are part of the ESPN International distribution network may be available in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa via ESPN Player, in Latin America via Star+, the Caribbean through ESPN Player via the ESPN App, and Oceania through Watch ESPN via the ESPN App.
The 2022-23 season will be the eighth for the PHF, North America’s only professional women’s hockey league. Among the highlights for the upcoming campaign is the debut of the league’s seventh team in Montreal, Quebec and a player experience that has been enhanced by a record salary cap of $750,000 per team. The entire regular season schedule will be announced at a later date.
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