Versus has exercised an option to extend its agreement to carry National Hockey League games through the 2010-11 season.
Versus reportedly pays $72.5 million a year for NHL rights and will pay slightly more over the next three years.
Hockey has become the centerpiece of the network’s new identity as Versus. It had been known as Outdoor Life Network until 2005.
Ratings for NHL games on Versus are up 50% so far this season, but viewership is lower than it had been on ESPN before a lockout checked interest in the sport.