The NCHC ponders its television, streaming future

Apr. 29—GRAND FORKS — The National Collegiate Hockey Conference is about to enter the final year of its streaming deal with Sidearm Sports.

The future of the NCHC's television and streaming deals was a topic at the annual meetings this week in Bonita Springs, Fla.

NCHC commissioner Heather Weems said the league will hire a consultant to help navigate options.

"We're partnering with someone in the media rights field, someone who works daily in that field, and has contacts and the valuation pieces that we want expertise on," Weems said. "I'd expect in the next six to nine months, we'll go through the process with the consultant and we'll have an announcement in the spring or the late winter."

Weems said the league has already been contacted by some interested parties.

The league will weigh several factors when choosing its future. Revenue, exposure and fan experience are three of them.

NCHC TV via Sidearm has been quite lucrative for the league.

League members received a combined $1.19 million in profit from NCHC TV during the 2025 fiscal year.

When fans sign up for NCHC TV, they select their favorite team, and the revenue from their subscription goes to that school.

In 2025, UND made, by far, the most from NCHC TV at $704,705.50.

UND was followed by Minnesota Duluth ($95,727.51), Denver ($88,261.35), St. Cloud State ($69,689.30), Omaha ($59,580.64), Western Michigan ($54,824), Arizona State ($50,486.60), Colorado College ($46,562.08) and Miami ($22,673.10).

League members received a combined profit of $1.2 million during the 2024 fiscal year.

"Certainly, revenue is an important part, particularly in today's landscape," Weems said. "You can't say that's not important. Revenue is important. We want to continue to build exposure and distribution in places where it makes the most sense with a partner who is interested in our success. I think we also will keep in mind the fan experience and how we ensure the product is meeting the fan needs as well. It's a mixture of a number of things as we go forward, pulling it all together."

Weems said it's possible that the NCHC could package a TV deal with a streaming deal, but it's not guaranteed.

"At this point, anything is possible," Weems said. "We're cognizant of partnerships our members have. Obviously, what has worked well with NCHC TV is that it provides a consistent platform for all of our games, but it also gives our members opportunities from a linear and sponsorship perspective. We'll look at everything, see what's out there and see what sort of interest and responses we get. But we're going to take the membership's needs into account going forward."

College hockey's six men's hockey conferences are on five different streaming platforms, a source of frustration for college hockey fans.

Atlantic Hockey is on FloSports. Hockey East and the ECAC are on ESPN Plus. The Big Ten has its own package. The Central Collegiate Hockey Association is on Midco Sports Plus. And the NCHC is on NCHC TV.