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Will Leafs sale cause CBC to cease?

CHRIS STEVENSON, QMI Agency, Dec 10 2011

MONTREAL – The Bell-Rogers marriage to take over Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment is being consummated and now I'm left wondering where this leaves CBC in the Centre of the Universe.

The Corp's biggest cash cow is Hockey Night in Canada — and HNIC's world revolves around the Toronto Maple Leafs. What happens if Rogers and Bell, which own the country's two biggest sports networks and now Canada's most important hockey franchise, decide they want the Leafs on Saturday night for themselves?

As partners in the Leafs, did it not just become a lot easier for Bell (TSN) and Rogers (Sportsnet) to team up and wrestle the Saturday night package from CBC?

CBC's biggest competitors just bought themselves a spot at the NHL table and, you would think, some influence over what will happen with the national television rights (think Comcast in the U.S. owning NBC, Versus, etc., and the Philadelphia Flyers and locking up the national rights for 10 years).

It only makes sense that Bell and Rogers would want the Leafs and Saturday night for TSN and Sportsnet when Canada's national broadcast rights come up for renewal. It's the biggest night of the week for hockey on TV.

Money always will be the ultimate decider so, unless CBC overpays, you have to think Bell and Rogers will make a big play for Saturday night.

Without the revenue from Hockey Night in Canada, does CBC continue to exist as we know it?

Something else to consider: Is it in the best interests of the NHL to see the CBC potentially damaged while losing a valuable bidder in the battle for rights fees?

It will be very interesting to see how hockey on television in Canada evolves from here.