This should help ease the loss of national NHL TV rights from next year.

Canadian sport channels TSN and RDS have expanded and extended their long-standing program supply deal with ESPN International.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but it does give the Bell Media properties continued exclusive Canadian access to original ESPN programming.

That includes live sports events, ESPN Films, and news and information programming welcomed by TSN and French-language counterpart RDS as they look to protect their lead over arch-rival Sportsnet.

That’s after Rogers Communications signed a $5.2 billion, 12-year deal with the NHL to start next season, leaving TSN to rely on regional TV deals to keep pro hockey on its schedule.

Away from the rink, TSN and RDS will look to the ESPN deal for a slate of college football programming, NCAA basketball, the Australian Open, and ESPN’s slate of football news programming.

TSN and RDS’ digital platforms also acquire as part of the new agreement Canadian media rights to ESPN digital content, including video, fantasy games and ESPN.com’s team of columnists and Insider analysis.

ESPN has a 30% equity stake in CTV Specialty Television, which includes TSN, RDS and ESPN Classic Canada.

Image via Shutterstock