ESPN awarded exclusive U.S. media rights for 2016 World Cup of Hockey
ESPN has been awarded the exclusive United States media rights for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, the NHL and NHL Players Association announced on Wednesday.
The tournament will be held from Sept. 17 to Oct. 1 next year at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. The World Cup of Hockey consists of eight teams in a round-robin format that turns into a semifinal and final. ESPN will have exclusive television and radio rights for all games.
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The NHL and NHLPA also announced that exclusive English-language media rights in Canada were awarded to Sportsnet, while French-language media rights in Canada were awarded to TVA.
The 2016 tournament will feature the United States, Canada, Russia, Sweden, Finland and the Czech Republic, as well as two all-star teams, one from Europe and one from North America. More than 150 NHL players are expected to participate.
The World Cup of Hockey has not been held since 2004, when Canada won the title.
- Molly Geary