The puck is about to drop on the 2024-25 NHL season! The season begins on Friday, Oct. 4, and will play out on various regional sports networks, as well as national channels such as ESPN, NHL Network, and TNT. There are multiple ways to stream the NHL as your top team battles it out for the right to hoist the Stanley Cup, and we’ll break down the best ways to watch below!
How to Watch 2024-25 NHL Season
- When: Starts Friday, Oct. 4 at 1 p.m. ET
- TV: ESPN, NHL Network, TNT, Regional Sports Networks, ESPN+
- Stream: Watch with a 5-Day Free Trial of DIRECTV STREAM.
Everything you need to know to watch the NHL season:
About 2024-25 NHL Season
The Florida Panthers enter the season as Stanley Cup champions, which also means they have a target on their backs. The Eastern Conference is loaded with talented teams like the New York Rangers, Carolina Hurricanes and Boston Bruins, and that’s before getting into the big-name squads in the Western Conference like the Edmonton Oilers, Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche.
Will the Oilers finally get over the hump and win a cup this year? How will the new expansion Utah Hockey Club fare? All of these questions and more will be answered, but only when the season begins!
How to Watch 2024-25 NHL Season on National TV
The first game of the 2024-25 NHL season will be played on NHL Network, with subsequent games to be featured on the channel throughout the season. Otherwise, games on national channels will be shown on both ESPN and TNT throughout the season.
| DTV STREAM | Fubo | Hulu | Philo | Sling TV | YouTube | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Free Trial | Free 3-Day Trial | Free Trial | Get 50% OFF | Sign Up | |||
| $86.99 | $94.99 | $82.99 | $28 | $45.99 | $45.99 | $82.99 | ||
| ESPN | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | |
| NHL Network | + $15 | + $8 | - | - | + $11 | + $11 | - | |
| TNT | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
How to Watch 2024-25 NHL Season on Local TV
Each team in the league will play the vast majority of its regular season games on local channels within the markets of the team in question. Some will play on regional sports networks (RSNs), while a number of others will play on local, over-the-air (OTA) broadcast channels. Nearly all have in-market streaming services that don’t require a cable subscription, so check out to see where you’ll find your favorite team all season below!
Where Can You Watch Out-of-Market NHL Games?
If you don’t live in the same city that your local NHL team plays in, you can stream every game not due to appear on national channels like ESPN, NHL Network or TNT on ESPN+. This service costs $10.99 per month at the moment, though as of Oct. 17 the price will increase to $11.99. There’s no need to buy any extra add-ons, however; an ESPN+ subscription will get you access to all out-of-market NHL games.
Which Live TV Streaming Services Carry the Most NHL Channels?
DIRECTV STREAM is The Streamable’s favorite service for watching the NHL day-in and day-out this season. Its CHOICE plan ($109, rising to $115 on Oct. 6) carries all of the RSNs listed above except for NBC Sports Philadelphia, as well as local channels and national sports networks like ESPN and TNT. NHL Network is available in the Sports add-on pack for $15 per month more, but this channel will only offer a relative handful of games as the season goes.
Fubo also carries RSNs, but unlike DIRECTV STREAM it doesn’t carry TNT, so you’ll miss a portion of nationally-broadcast games. Its plans start at $95 per month including the RSN fee most customers will have to pay, and you’d need to pay extra for NHL Network, plus shell out at least $10 per month to get games on TNT via Max.
Sling TV carries NHL Network in the Sports Extra pack, as well as ESPN and TNT in its Sling Orange plan. The cost to stream all three channels rises to $51 per month with Sling, but it doesn’t carry RSNs, and local channels aren’t available in most markets around the U.S.
| DTV STREAM | Fubo | Hulu | Philo | Sling TV | YouTube | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Free Trial | Free 3-Day Trial | Free Trial | Get 50% OFF | Sign Up | |||
| $86.99 | $94.99 | $82.99 | $28 | $45.99 | $45.99 | $82.99 | ||
| ESPN | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | |
| TNT | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| NHL Network | $15 | $8 | - | - | $11 | $11 | - | |
All Live TV Streaming Services
Price: $86.99
Includes: ESPN and TNT + 29 Top Cable Channels
Add-on: $15 Sports Pack
Includes: NHL Network
Price: $45.99
Includes: ESPN and TNT + 15 Top Cable Channels
Add-on: $11 Sports Extra
Includes: NHL Network
Price: $82.99
Includes: ESPN and TNT + 31 Top Cable Channels
Price: $94.99
Includes: ESPN + 18 Top Cable Channels
Add-on: $8 Fubo Extra
Includes: NHL Network
Add-on: $11 Sports Plus
Includes: NHL Network
Price: $82.99
Includes: ESPN and TNT + 30 Top Cable Channels