Loss of Hockey Night in Canada a major blow to tradition, say majority of fans: poll

Despite changes to hockey broadcasts in Canada, the sport remains rooted in Canada’s national identity, with nine-in-10 (90 per cent) telling the Angus Reid Institute that hockey is an important or defining part of Canadian identity. Photo by Chris Tanouye /Getty Images

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Just shy of three-quarters of Canadian hockey fans say the end of Hockey Night in Canada is a major loss for Canadian hockey and its traditions, according to a new Angus Reid Institute survey.

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Polling found 74 per cent of Canadians who follow the NHL view the end of the traditional Saturday-night broadcast as a significant loss, following a 74-year run on CBC. The sentiment was strongest in Atlantic Canada, where 83 per cent say the loss is significant.

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Just seven per cent see the change as a positive development, while another 12 per cent say they are disappointed but do not consider it a major loss.

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The findings come as the way Canadians watch professional sports continues to shift toward streaming services, with fans increasingly required to subscribe to multiple platforms just to follow their favourite teams.

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As previously reported by National Post’s Scott Stinson, fans of four of Canada’s seven teams — Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa and Winnipeg — will have to subscribe to up to four different services, either through their TV provider or with separate digital subscriptions, just to be able to watch their full schedules: Sportsnet, Sportsnet+, TSN and Prime Video. Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton fans, whose regional broadcast rights are held by Sportsnet, will not require TSN.

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Despite the changes, hockey remains deeply rooted in Canada’s national identity. Nine-in-10 (90 per cent) say hockey is an important or defining part of Canadian identity, up slightly from the 88 per cent found in 2015 polling.

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The CBC’s Saturday-night broadcasts have long been a fixture for generations of Canadian viewers. Beginning Dec. 5, the national public broadcaster will instead use the Hockey Night brand to air eight Professional Women’s Hockey (PWHL) games on Saturday nights.

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The poll suggests there is uncertainty about how many Canadians will watch, however. Only one in five (20 per cent), say they are likely to watch a PWHL game this season, while 69 per cent probably or definitely won’t.

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Rebecca Leslie, centre, Ottawa Charge looks for a rebound on the save by Montreal Victoire goalie Ann-Renee Desbiens during Game 3 of last year’s PWHL Walter Cup Final. Photo by Troy Parla /Getty Images

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That said, there is broad public support for women’s sports receiving increased visibility. Nearly two-thirds of respondents (64 per cent) say women’s pro sports deserve more Canadian television coverage. Still, among those who support more coverage, only 30 per cent say they’re likely to tune in.

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The survey also points to widespread dissatisfaction with the growing reliance on streaming subscriptions to get their sports fix.

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Among Canadians who follow the NHL, despite more overall games being available, 78 per cent say it’s bad that additional subscriptions are required. Only 10 per cent viewed more availability as a good thing.

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Across the country, 70 per cent of Canadians say professional sports are spread across too many channels and platforms. Just six per cent disagreed and 23 per cent were unsure.

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Subscription costs are another irritant for respondents.