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Wild Launches In-House TV Network, Ratings Surge 41% Post-Hughes

7/22/2026

Summary

NHL Takes Production

The teams will pay a baseline fee while retaining all distribution and advertising revenue.
NHL will fund shared production infrastructure, including personnel, technology, graphics, replay and engineering.
The Blues, Hurricanes and Wild are prioritizing pay-TV agreements, whereas the Blue Jackets are still finalizing distribution.

Summary

Wild Launches Network

The Minnesota Wild will run a team-owned multimedia TV network, handling production, distribution, sales and marketing in-house.
After acquiring Quinn Hughes, the Wild’s household ratings rose 41%, leading to a cable record of 2.22 million viewers for a Second-Round Game 1.
Advertising inquiries go to Bryan Bellows, Senior Director of Corporate Partnerships & Media Sales, at (651) 341-2646 or [email protected]; the Wild’s audio network, the league’s largest, airs on KFAN FM 100.3 and iHeartRadio.

History

Historical Context

After Fox outbid CBS and secured a five-year, $155 million NHL broadcast deal on September 9 1994—its first network contract since 1975—the league introduced national games, the glowing puck, and revenue-sharing with advertisers. That model paved the way for today’s team-run networks, such as the Minnesota Wild’s in-house channel, which negotiates its own pay-TV fees and keeps ad sales.

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NHL Takes Production

The teams will pay a baseline fee while retaining all distribution and advertising revenue.
NHL will fund shared production infrastructure, including personnel, technology, graphics, replay and engineering.
The Blues, Hurricanes and Wild are prioritizing pay-TV agreements, whereas the Blue Jackets are still finalizing distribution.

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