Blue Jackets Join NHL Centralized Production for 2026-27 Regional Broadcasts – The Hockey Writers – Columbus Blue Jackets

The Columbus Blue Jackets were in need of a new television home starting in 2026-27. On Tuesday morning, the NHL shared what that will look like.

The NHL announced that four teams, including the Blue Jackets, would have centralized production services starting in the 2026-27 season. The other teams are the Carolina Hurricanes, Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues. Other teams could be added before the start of the season.

According to the release, the League and its centralized production group will also provide strategic support for distribution and monetization of Club regional game broadcasts, creating more economic opportunities for Clubs and greater flexibility with distribution partners.

The Blue Jackets also had a press release on Tuesday confirming the NHL’s plans. At this time, distribution details are still being worked out and will be announced at a later date.

“We are excited about working with the NHL and its award-winning production team to continue delivering the best Blue Jackets coverage to our fans,” said Marc Gregory, Blue Jackets’ Vice President of Business Intelligence & Broadcasting. “This partnership allows us to leverage the league’s industry-leading production resources and storytelling capabilities to bring the game closer to our fans than ever before. We are continuing to work on our distribution platforms and look forward to announcing those details in the near future.”

Key Details

Here is some of what will be coming as part of this new arrangement.

• Comprehensive pregame, intermission and postgame programming supported by dedicated producers and on-site hosts for both home and road games.
• Expanded storytelling through player features, NHL EDGE content and integrated digital and sponsorship opportunities.
• Premium game production featuring state-of-the-art graphics packages, enhanced replay capabilities and expanded camera deployments, including handheld, robotic and point-of-view cameras.
• NHL-level operational infrastructure, including high-quality mobile production units, experienced technical crews, engineering support and full integration with League and arena operations.

While the Hurricanes and Wild have shared that they will launch their own networks, it remains to be seen the exact path the Blue Jackets are going to take. It’s quite possible they model after what the Cleveland Guardians and Cincinnati Reds have done each having their own network and channel dedicated to them.

Since we don’t know how the distribution is going to work yet, it’s not known if the talent will all return to their usual spots. While the broadcasters such as Steve Mears, Jody Shelley and Bob McElligott are employed by the Blue Jackets, the hosts and analysts on the pre- and postgame show were previously employed by FanDuel. Stay tuned on that front.

With this news, the framework is in place for how the Blue Jackets can be watched next season and beyond. Depending on how the broadcasts will be distributed, there remains a chance games can be seen over the air which would make them more readily available for fans to watch.

We will update this story as more information becomes available.