from Gerrit De Vynck of Bloomberg,

Rogers Communications Inc. deal to lock up exclusive rights to broadcast hockey, Canada’s favorite sport, is likely to make the government reconsider the way it regulates TV programming, said Moody’s Investors Service.

The C$5.2 billion ($4.9 billion), 12-year agreement makes Rogers the sole distributor of National Hockey League games in Canada beginning in 2014. Rogers may distribute some content only to its subscribers, giving the government pause about the effect on hockey-hungry consumers, Moody’s said.

“Despite the Canadian government’s support of free markets, should Rogers’ plan adversely affect consumers, regulators will respond,” Moody’s analyst Bill Wolfe said in the report published today.

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