Follow Ovechkin’s race for the record with ESPN+ and WBD’s Ovicast
Follow Ovechkin’s race for the record with ESPN+ and WBD’s Ovicast
ESPN+ has launched a new alternate stream of Washington Capitals games to keep track of Ovechkin’s pursuit of history.
Alex Ovechkin is chasing history. The 39-year-old left winger for the Washington Capitals has scored 891 career goals as of the time of this writing, just five shy of Wayne Gretzky’s all-time league record. Now, fans can track Ovechkin’s pursuit of history each and every time he hits the ice with Ovicast, the new alternate stream of Capitals games available on ESPN+ and Warner Bros. Discovery-owned cable and streaming outlets.
Key Details:
- Ovicast keeps an overlay of key stats from Ovechkin during a given game on the screen at all times.
- Fans can watch Ovicast games live on ESPN+, Max, and truTV.
- ESPN+ carries all out-of-market NHL games via NHL Power Play.
The new Ovicast stream of Capitals games will be available for six additional games during the NHL regular season, with the first two being produced by WBD’s TNT Sports, and the final four via ESPN. Each comes with an isolated camera of Ovechkin in one box, with a traditional game feed in the second box, allowing fans to keep an eye on Ovi the whole time.
The overlay for the broadcast will also show key stats, including how many shifts Ovechkin has played, his ice time, shots, goals, and assists. Ovechkin is five goals away from tying Gretzky’s record of 894 career goals, and six goals away from breaking that record.
If you miss an Ovicast game between now and the end of the regular season, you can also watch this special version of Capitals games via on-demand replay. I had to search specifically for the Ovicast, then select it from a menu of options when I tried to find it in my ESPN+ account, but it was available.
The options for watching on-demand Capitals games on ESPN+, including Ovicast. Click to enlarge.
The games that will be broadcast by WBD haven’t arrived on the Max streaming platform yet, but when they do, they will be available via the Bleacher Report Sports Add-On, which is available for free to everyone signed up for one of the platform’s ad-free tiers.
What is the schedule of Ovicast games?
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup | Platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday, April 2 | 7 p.m. | Carolina Hurricanes at Washington Capitals | truTV, Max |
| Sunday, April 6 | 12:30 p.m. | Carolina Hurricanes at New York Islanders | truTV, Max |
| Thursday, April 10 | 7:30 p.m. | Carolina Hurricanes at Washington Capitals | ESPN+ |
| Saturday, April 12 | 12:30 p.m. | Washington Capitals at Columbus Blue Jackets | ESPN+ |
| Tuesday, April 15 | 8 p.m. | Washington Capitals at New York Islanders | ESPN+ |
| Thursday, April 17 | 7 p.m. | Washington Capitals at Pittsburgh Penguins | ESPN+ |
The April 2 and 6 games will be available on multiple WBD-owned platforms. The standard broadcast will air on TNT while the Ovicast will be available on TruTV. Both versions of the broadcast can be streamed on Max via the B/R Sports Add-On.
The April 17 game against the Pittsburgh Penguins will be available on ESPN+ and Monumental Sports Network simultaneously via special arrangement, and that will be the final game of the Capitals’ season. If Ovechkin hasn’t broken the record by then, that game will be must-see viewing.
Traditional presentations of the game on April 10 will also be available on Disney+ and Hulu to subscribers of those services.
-
ESPN Select
ESPN Select is a streaming service that replaced ESPN+ and provides access to live NHL, MLB, and MLS games, PGA Tour Golf, international sports events, ESPN original programming, and a complete archive of “30 for 30.” Find out our review of the service and how to start streaming ESPN Select.
-
HBO Max
HBO Max is a subscription video streaming service that gives access to the full HBO library and exclusive Max Originals. There are hubs for content from TLC, HGTV, Food Network, Discovery, TCM, Cartoon Network, Travel Channel, ID, and more. Watch hit series like “The Last of Us,” “House of the Dragon,” “Succession,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” and more. Within HBO Max, B/R Sports allows users to watch live NBA, MLB, NHL, March Madness, and NASCAR events.
