Gary Bettman made some shocking comments last night that potentially hinted that the NHL is looking to do away with showing games on cable television. Last night, Gary Bettman and the NHL dropped what felt like a bombshell by insinuating that games may no longer appear on conventional cable television. Ahead of the first iteration of Amazon's Prime Monday Night Hockey, it represented a shift in how hockey fans may enjoy their favorite teams moving forward. With the rise of streaming platforms, the effect has already been felt in other sports leagues, and it now appears the NHL might be next. <a href='https://www.hockeylatest.com/nhl/news/gary-bettman-blasted-for-ridiculous-rule-leading-to-horrible-nhl-viewership-numbers' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>The comments by Bettman</a> raised speculation about the future of cable TV and, for that matter, greater ramifications for sports broadcasting. <div align='center'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/ArponBasu/status/1845957868723622112'> </a></blockquote></div> Streaming services have been on the increase. Most of these households have migrated away from cable service providers to the likes of Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime. This is forcing the hands of these wired distributors in trying to hold on to what is leftover of their dwindling audience. As viewership continues to decrease across traditional television, it is no big surprise that huge corporations, such as Amazon, would jump into live sports broadcasting. The success of running NFL, NBA, and MLB games through Amazon led them to also venture into the NHL for the very first time last season by streaming the games. Accessibility and a further global reach have given the up-and-coming platform an edge over traditional networks. During a press conference prior to the Montreal Canadiens' tilt against the Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL Commissioner Gary <a href='https://www.hockeylatest.com/nhl/news/several-players-reportedly-call-on-gary-bettman-to-eliminate-the-shootout-in-the-nhl' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Bettman reflected on exactly that shift</a>. He pointed out that even NHL games on Amazon Prime have more viewers than hockey games broadcast via cable. This option repeated that the world is moving away from traditional cable and these streaming services are simply the future of how people consume content. This then becomes part of the global trend where sports leagues and entertainment firms prioritize digital platforms more over legacy media outlets. <div align='center'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/LouisJeanMedia/status/1845966985797960089'> </a></blockquote></div> Ironically, Bettman followed that with an intermission interview aired on traditional cable, and he was asked if this transition would alienate those fans accustomed to receiving their games through channels such as CBC, TSN, or Sportsnet. In fact, Bettman did offer notice that this was a concern, but one he was willing to live with, given that the future is digital platforms like Amazon Prime. Fair enough, likely inevitable, but exclusionary. For many of its older or less tech-savvy fans, and those perhaps reliant on conventional broadcasts, the adjustment to streaming <a href='https://www.hockeypatrol.com/nhl/news/gary-bettman-and-the-nhl-hint-at-potential-end-of-games-on-cable-television' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>may be a difficult one</a>. <div align='center'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/JohnMatarese/status/1846258146886455559'> </a></blockquote></div> The NHL appears to be following the broader evolution taking place across sports and entertainment in its incremental shift toward services such as Amazon Prime. While this may very well provide better access to their franchises for the younger, more tech-savvy crowds, it would risk alienating many fans who don't quite take as well to today's newer methods of communication. Yet to be seen is whether the NHL and other professional sports leagues can tap into the advantages of taking their product into the digital future without leaving long-time supporters in the dark.