TNT will be the first American cable channel to exclusively show a major sports championship since 1994.
For Warner Bros. Discover Sports, the gravity set in when the most famous trophy in North American sports entered the room.
But once the stars in their eyes dimmed a bit, WBD Sports brass confronted the colossal significance of the next couple months. “There’s incredible pressure,” says color commentator Eddie Olczyk, “but there’s also incredible pride to be the first.” “Shows are imperfect, people are imperfect,” WBD Sports EVP and CCO Craig Barry says. “Leaning into that imperfection, being okay with it, and having fun with it is another thing that both shows share in common.”
Carter and McHugh weren’t the only continuity TNT kept for hockey fans: The channel hired play-by-play announcer Kenny Albert, ice-level analyst Keith Jones, and color commentator Olczyk as the lead broadcast crew. It almost didn’t happen. The Great One — who had previously never held a media job — sparked a bidding war between Turner Sports and Disney to join their respective NHL coverage in 2021. Ultimately, TNT won out with an assist from Barkley, a good friend of Gretzky’s who “called [him] every single day” until he relented, per Sportsnet.
The Battle for Eyes The split media rights between WBD and Disney creates a unique situation where two entities are putting their own spin on effectively the same product. Viewers have noticed. Sentiment across social media largely reinforces that praise, with TNT’s commentators often at the center of the argument.The same Athletic survey found that 41.2% of those surveyed were watching more hockey compared to the past, and 74.3% believed that the NHL was in a better place with the new rights holders.
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