NHL streaming choices: Untangling the 2024-2025 mess
We’re lower than couple of weeks from the beginning of hockey season, and the streaming scenario seems to be simply as difficult as baseball was over the summer time.
As pay TV subscriptions decline and the regional sports activities enterprise mannequin collapses, NHL groups are transferring in several instructions. Some are spinning up new regional sports activities streaming providers, whereas others are partnering with broadcasters to distribute native video games free of charge over the air. Others are nonetheless clinging to the regional sports activities mannequin, requiring bloated pay TV packages with no cheaper standalone alternate options.
It’s a multitude, and it doesn’t assist that the data you want could be scattered in all places. Similar to throughout baseball season, I’ve put all of it again collectively once more. Listed here are all of the NHL streaming and over-the air choices for the 2024-2025 season:
NHL in-market streaming choices: An outline for 2024-2025
Beneath is a chart exhibiting each Nationwide Hockey League group, its corresponding native channel or regional sports activities community, the dwell TV streaming providers that carry these channels, and whether or not a standalone alternate options exist. (You can too view a model of this chart on Google Sheets.)
Be aware that these choices solely apply for locally-televised, in-market video games. They received’t assist for video games that air on nationwide TV, together with most playoff protection.
| NHL Staff | Native channel/RSN | Streaming bundle choices | Unbundled choices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anaheim Geese | FOX 11 Plus (KCOP Channel 13) | YTTV, Hulu Stay, Fubo, DTV Stream, Sling | Victory+ (Free) Free over-the-air |
| Boston Bruins | NESN | DTV Stream, Fubo | NESN 360 ($30/mo or $330/yr) |
| Buffalo Sabres | MSG | DTV Stream, Fubo | Gotham Sports activities ($30/mo or $280/yr) Bundled with YES ($42/mo or $360/yr) |
| Calgary Flames | Sportsnet | – | SportsNet+ ($180 per yr) |
| Carolina Hurricanes | FanDuel Sports activities Community South | DTV Stream, Fubo | FanDuel Sports activities Community ($20/mo or $190/yr) |
| Chicago Blackhawks | Chicago Sports activities Community | DirecTV Stream | CHSN ($20/mo) Free over-the-air |
| Colorado Avalanche | Altitude Sports activities | DirecTV Stream, Fubo | Altitude+ ($20/mo) |
| Columbus Blue Jackets | FanDuel Sports activities Community Ohio | DTV Stream, Fubo | FanDuel Sports activities Community ($20/mo or $190/yr) |
| Dallas Stars | – | None | Victory+ (Free) |
| Detroit Purple Wings | FanDuel Sports activities Community Detroit | DTV Stream, Fubo | FanDuel Sports activities Community ($20/mo or $190/yr) |
| Edmonton Oilers | Sportsnet | – | SportsNet+ ($180 per yr) |
| Florida Panthers | Ft Laud: WSFL-TV 39 Palm Seaside: WHDT 9 Ft Myers: WFTX 36.3 |
– | Panthers+ ($70/yr) Free over-the-air |
| Los Angeles Kings | FanDuel Sports activities Community West | DTV Stream, Fubo | FanDuel Sports activities Community ($20/mo or $190/yr) |
| Minnesota Wild | FanDuel Sports activities Community North | DTV Stream, Fubo | FanDuel Sports activities Community ($20/mo or $190/yr) |
| Montreal Canadiens | TSN | – | TSN ($20/mo, $80/half-year, $120/yr) |
| Nashville Predators | FanDuel Sports activities Community South | DTV Stream, Fubo | FanDuel Sports activities Community ($20/mo or $190/yr) |
| New Jersey Devils | MSG | DTV Stream, Fubo | Gotham Sports activities ($30/mo or $280/yr) Bundled with YES ($42/mo or $360/yr) |
| New York Islanders | MSG | DTV Stream, Fubo | Gotham Sports activities ($30/mo or $280/yr) Bundled with YES ($42/mo or $360/yr) |
| New York Rangers | MSG | DTV Stream, Fubo | Gotham Sports activities ($30/mo or $280/yr) Bundled with YES ($42/mo or $360/yr) |
| Ottawa Senators | TSN | – | TSN ($20/mo, $80/half-year, $120/yr) |
| Philadelphia Flyers | NBC Sports activities Philadelphia | YTTV, Hulu Stay, Fubo | Peacock sub required, plus $25/mo |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | SportsNet Pittsburgh | DTV Stream, Fubo | SNP 360 ($18/mo) |
| San Jose Sharks | NBC Sports activities California | YTTV, Hulu Stay, Fubo, DTV Stream | Peacock sub required, plus $18/mo |
| Seattle Kraken | KONG | DirecTV Stream | Amazon Prime Video (no additional cost) Free over-the-air |
| St. Louis Blues | FanDuel Sports activities Community Midwest | DTV Stream, Fubo | FanDuel Sports activities Community ($20/mo or $190/yr) |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | FanDuel Sports activities Community Solar | DTV Stream, Fubo | FanDuel Sports activities Community ($20/mo or $190/yr) |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | Sportsnet, TSN | SportsNet+ ($180 per yr) TSN ($20/mo, $80/half-year, $120/yr) |
|
| Utah Hockey Membership | Utah 16 (KUPX-TV Channel 16) | DirecTV Stream | UtahHC+ ($15/mo, $70/yr) SEG+ (Jazz bundle, $175/yr) Free over-the-air |
| Vancouver Canucks | Sportsnet | – | SportsNet+ ($180 per yr) |
| Vegas Golden Knights | Scripps Sports activities | DirecTV Stream | KnightTime+ ($70/yr) Free over-the-air |
| Washington Capitals | Monumental Sports activities Community | YTTV, Hulu Stay, DTV Stream | Monumental ($20/mo or $200/yr) |
| Winnipeg Jets | TSN | – | TSN ($20/mo, $80/half-year, $120/yr) |
What about nationally-televised video games?
For the previous few years, NHL TV rights for nationally-televised video games—together with most playoff protection—have been carved up between Disney (ESPN, ABC) and Warner Bros. Discovery (TNT).
These channels are included with a number of dwell TV streaming providers, together with YouTube TV, Hulu + Stay TV, and DirecTV Stream. Sling TV carries ESPN, however is lacking ABC in all however a handful of markets.
Alternatively, Warner’s sports activities protection is at the moment included with Max, which begins at $10 per 30 days with adverts or $17 per 30 days with out. Warner says it is going to ultimately cost an additional $10 per 30 days for dwell sports activities, however hasn’t turned on the paywall as of September 2024.
As for ESPN, most of this yr’s nationally-televised video games will stream on ESPN+, which prices $11 per 30 days, or $15 per 30 days as a part of the Disney Bundle. (These costs are rising to $12 per 30 days and $17 per 30 days, respectively, on October 17. Some video games will likely be reserved for ESPN’s cable channel, which isn’t included with ESPN+ and isn’t accessible and not using a dwell TV streaming service, although a standalone streaming model of the channel is coming in 2025. You’ll be able to see ESPN’s hockey broadcast schedule right here.
Out-of-market NHL video games
ESPN+ has streamed out-of-market NHL video games solely since 2021. Meaning in case your favourite group performs in a special market from the place you reside, you’ll be able to watch with out navigating the regional sports activities mess.
That mentioned, you’ll nonetheless run into blackouts for video games which are televised nationally, necessitating among the different choices talked about above. Even when streaming choices appear simple, problems have a means of arising.
For extra assist navigating the streaming sports activities panorama, try these helpful instruments. And contemplate signing up for my Wire Cutter Weekly e-newsletter to get money-saving streaming recommendation each Friday.
