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Media literacy · Grades 9–12 · about 45 minutes

Who Owns the Game? Sports TV and media literacy

Students map how many services a fan needs to watch one team's season and evaluate sources about the 2026-27 sports TV shake-up.

Students will: Explain how media rights work; Count the cost of following a team; Judge the reliability of sources.

Free to print and share with your class. Includes an answer key.

Who Owns the Game? Sports TV and media literacy

Name: ______________________

To watch every Toronto Maple Leafs game in Toronto in 2026-27, a fan needs more than one service. Use the table to answer the questions.

Where Maple Leafs games air in the Toronto area, 2026-27
ServiceWhich gamesType
TSN4Maple Leafs regional games (27)Cable TV + TSN app
SportsnetNational games, including Saturday Night HockeyCable TV + Sportsnet+
Sportsnet+Monday Night Hockey (streaming only)Streaming
Prime VideoWednesday national gamesStreaming

From the NHL's 2026-27 schedule feed and broadcaster announcements, checked game by game in October 2026.

  1. How many different services does a Toronto fan need to watch every game?
  2. Which games are only on a streaming service?
  3. Why might a league sell games to a streaming company?
  4. In 2026, CBC stopped carrying Hockey Night in Canada and FanDuel Sports Network shut down. Who gains and who loses?
  5. You read two claims about a game's channel: one on the broadcaster's official schedule, one on a fan forum. Which do you trust, and why?

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🔑 Answer key (for teachers)
  1. How many different services does a Toronto fan need to watch every game?
    Four listings (TSN, Sportsnet, Sportsnet+ and Prime Video). Since a Sportsnet+ subscription also streams the Sportsnet channels, a fan could do it with three: TSN, Sportsnet+ and Prime Video.
  2. Which games are only on a streaming service?
    Monday Night Hockey (Sportsnet+) and Wednesday games (Prime Video).
  3. Why might a league sell games to a streaming company?
    Streamers pay large rights fees and reach younger viewers; leagues earn more by selling separate packages.
  4. In 2026, CBC stopped carrying Hockey Night in Canada and FanDuel Sports Network shut down. Who gains and who loses?
    Answers vary: fans without cable or streaming lose free access; streaming services and Sportsnet gain viewers; teams must find new local TV homes.
  5. You read two claims about a game's channel: one on the broadcaster's official schedule, one on a fan forum. Which do you trust, and why?
    The official schedule: it's the primary source. Check the forum claim against it.

Teacher notes

  • Facts are from the NHL's 2026-27 schedule feed, CBC Sports, NHL.com and Sportsnet releases (see the FanRoadTrips 2026 Game-Day Report for links).
  • Good discussion: what does it cost a household to follow one team for a season?

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