NBC And NHL End Media Partnership After 16 Seasons On The Air

The NHL and their 16-year-run with NBC to televise games is coming to an end according to Sports Business Journal.

The 16 years with the NHL was the longest sport rights wise for NBC. It's overall the longest It is the continuous relationship with a league since it last held the NFL’s AFC package, who took place back in the 1990 when the AFC would get crushed each year in the Super Bowl by San Francisco, Dallas, Washington and the New York Giants.

That will be no longer though, as NBC announced they were leaving the bidding war for the NHL's right's after it said the $100 million dollar offer from NBC was “well below” the amount the league wants.

Things between the NBC and NHL didn't exactly get off to a great start, as when NBC won the rights back in 2004, little did they know the entire league was heading for a full-season strike.

SportsNet reporter Chris Johnston said over the weekend on Hockey Night in Canada that Fox was the new frontrunner for the “B” package.

The "A" package isn't up for grabs anymore, as ESPN/ABC won those rights including four of the next seven Stanley Cup finals after this season.