Elliotte Friedman is reportedly close to finalizing a new deal with Rogers, not Amazon.
That's a sharp turn from where this story stood just days ago, and it comes with a pretty blunt correction attached.
Jonah Sigel reported that Friedman is currently vacationing overseas, with most deal terms already agreed to with Rogers.
He didn't stop there either.
"The notion Amazon had made a significant or serious offer is complete fiction," Sigel wrote.
That's a direct shot at the narrative that had been building all week, the one suggesting Friedman was genuinely torn between two networks.
Sigel did leave room for some nuance. "There may have been discussions," he added, "but Amazon wasn't going to blow up their entire payroll for an insider."
That's a very different picture than a bidding war. It sounds more like a courtesy conversation than a real threat to Sportsnet.
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What this correction actually changes about the bigger picture
The underlying business reasons for speculation never disappeared, even if this specific Friedman rumor did.
Amazon still holds a genuine 12-year rights deal with Rogers, including Wednesday Night Hockey and at least 26 national games a season.
That platform is real, regardless of whether it was ever seriously chasing Friedman specifically.
Kevin Bieksa still doesn't have a new deal in place either, and Kelly Hrudey is still gone from Sportsnet's broadcast lineup.
So the roster uncertainty around Hockey Night in Canada hasn't actually resolved itself just because Friedman appears to be staying.
It just means the specific version of this story, insider furious over Hrudey and deep in Amazon talks, doesn't hold up under this reporting.
That's worth remembering the next time a viral broadcasting rumor spreads before any deal actually closes.
Sportsnet keeps its most recognizable insider, at least based on where things stand today, and that's a real relief for the network.
Is this the actual end of the story, or just the version that's true until the next report changes it again?
For now, Friedman appears headed back to the network he's spent his career building, deal terms and all.
Did the Amazon-Friedman rumors get overblown before any real offer existed?
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