Short answers, pulled from the story.
Sportsnet launched on the 9th of October 1998 as CTV Sportsnet. It was founded as a joint venture between Baton Broadcasting (which held a 40% controlling interest), Rogers Media, and Liberty Media, each holding 20% minority stakes.
Rogers Communications announced a 12-year deal on the 26th of November 2013 valued at $5.2 billion, covering both television and digital media rights to the NHL. On the 2nd of April 2025, Rogers announced a new 12-year extension valued at $11 billion, running through the 2037-38 season.
When CTV acquired TSN's parent company NetStar in 2000, the CRTC required CTV to sell either TSN or its stake in Sportsnet. CTV chose to keep TSN, so Rogers acquired CTV's stake in the summer of 2001. Rogers then bought Fox's remaining 20% stake in 2004, becoming sole owner.
Sportsnet holds national NHL rights through 2038 and is the exclusive Canadian broadcaster of the Toronto Blue Jays. It also carries NBA Toronto Raptors coverage (split with TSN), the Canadian Open tennis tournament, the Grand Slam of Curling, UFC events, the FA Cup, Eredivisie soccer, and Olympics coverage sublicensed from CBC.
The four regional feeds are Sportsnet Pacific (British Columbia and Yukon), Sportsnet West (the Prairies, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut), Sportsnet Ontario (most of Ontario), and Sportsnet East (Eastern Ontario, Quebec, and Atlantic Canada). Each feed airs programming tailored to its region, including regional NHL games.
On the 14th of January 2016, Sportsnet broadcast a Toronto Raptors game against the Orlando Magic at the O2 Arena in London, produced in cooperation with BT Sport. It was both the first NBA game ever produced in 4K and the first live 4K sporting event in Canadian broadcasting history.