from James Bradshaw and Christine Dobby of the Globe and Mail,

Ever since Rogers Communications Inc. sealed a deal to grab a near-monopoly on hockey broadcasting in Canada for 12 years, questions have lingered about whether it could squeeze enough value from the precious NHL rights to make its $5.2-billion gamble pay off.

Now, as the deal’s first season enters its final games, the company’s chief executive officer says it made money on the inaugural campaign, and expects a reasonable return over the life of the contract despite the hefty price tag.

“Categorically, we will make a 10-per-cent margin this year and the deal has been profitable for us,” CEO Guy Laurence said in a lengthy interview this week. “And given it’s our first year and we’ve learned a lot and all the rest of it, I don’t see why it won’t be profitable ongoing.”

Rogers’ expansion of the number of games on national television, as well as experimentation with new mobile platforms and camera angles, have driven its Sportsnet network to the best ratings in its 17-year history. And the number of Canadians who tuned in to a game on TV or online is up 2 per cent to 28.8 million.

But there is still much work to do to boost audiences and attract new hockey fans to the fold.

continued