Publications
Publications
- November 2018
- HBS Case Collection
The National Hockey League
By: Robert F. Higgins, John Masko and James Weber
Abstract
In 2015, National Hockey League (NHL) commissioner Gary Bettman was weighing two major decisions: whether to expand the league to a new city, and whether to conclude a digital media rights deal with Major League Baseball Advanced Media (MLBAM). Expansion required a careful balance between the needs of existing teams and of parallel fan bases in the U.S. and Canada. Between two candidate expansion cities, Las Vegas, NV, and Quebec, QC, Bettman would have to decide to expand to either, neither, or both. If the NHL accepted MLBAM’s offer, it would be one of sports’ first digital media rights deals and the first time one major sport had outsourced its digital media production to another. This case also explores the history of the NHL and labor relations between the league and its players.
Keywords
Citation
Higgins, Robert F., John Masko, and James Weber. "The National Hockey League." Harvard Business School Case 819-036, November 2018.