If you’ve subscribed to NHL.TV to stream NHL games in past seasons, there is a new home for the league’s out-of-market streaming package – and it’s cheaper than ever. Now, you will be able to watch every out-of-market game on NHL.TV with a subscription to ESPN+.
To stream NHL.TV on ESPN+, it costs $6.99 a month or $69.99 a year ($5.83/mo.), or you can get it as part of The Disney Bundle for $13.99 a month.
We’ve had quite a few readers ask us what’s different between NHL.TV from past seasons and the out-of-market package on ESPN+, so we are going to break it all down for you.
1. It Is Half the Price As NHL.TV Was During The Last Full NHL Season
The entire NHL out-of-market package included in the base ESPN+ subscription. At $6.99 a month, or $69.99 a year – that will save you ~$70-85 per season as compared to a NHL.TV subscription which cost $144.99 for the last full NHL season.
2. There Are No Longer Single Team or All Teams Plans, Just a Single Subscription
In past years, you could subscribe to get the games of a single team for a discount. However, ESPN+ all out-of-market games for a single price. Even though, you can’t get a discount for just a single team anymore, the ESPN+ Annual Plan, is almost $50 less than the Single Team Plan ($115.99) for the last full NHL season.
3. You Can Stream 1,000+ Out-of-Market NHL Games At No Extra Cost
ESPN+ will now be the home to more than 1,000 out-of-market NHL games. There is no add-on, it is included in the base subscription. Just like NHL.TV, you will still be subject to out-of-market blackout restrictions in local markets.
4. You Will Stream Games in the NHL App Instead of NHL.TV
Instead of streaming the games in the NHL App though, they will now be viewable inside ESPN+. When you click “Watch Live” in the NHL App, it will deep link you to the NHL section of the NHL App, but it won’t be able to directly play the selected game.
But, just like the NHL App, you can choose Home & Away Feeds, and can choose to start a game from the beginning or join live.
5. ESPN+ Will Offer 75+ Exclusive Nationally Televised Games
Even if you weren’t planning to get ESPN+ for the out-of-market package, most NHL teams will have 2-4 games that air exclusively on the streaming service. Since those games are only on ESPN+ and Hulu, those games will be available in your local market.
6. You Should Still Get Some Pre- and Post-Game Shows
While they haven’t been there for many preseason games, ESPN says that during the regular season, you should get the pre- or post-game shows for games that come for a local RSN.
7. NHL Network, TNT, and ESPN Games Will Be Blacked Out
One of the positive changes the last two years is that NHL.TV didn’t black out games on NHL Network. Unfortunately, that is probably the biggest negative to the shift to ESPN+. Games that are on NHL Network (~90 games) will no longer be available live, even if the teams are out-of-market. So you will need a Live TV Streaming Service like Sling TV or fuboTV for that.
Games that air on TNT (50 games) and ESPN (18 games, except openers), will not be available live on ESPN+, even if the teams aren’t in your local market.
8. You Can Watch All Games On-Demand, Including Those Blacked Out
Replays for all games, including those on NHL Network, TNT, and ESPN will be available within 24 hours after they air. Unless the game is due to local blackout, most will be available immediately after they air live, with everything else appearing 24 hours after the live games end.
9. You Can Still Hide Scores on Some Platforms
To prevent spoilers, the NHL App had a featured that let you “Hide Scores,” in case you caught a game late. ESPN does have the ability to turn off scores that display underneath live games on some platforms, and expects to bring it to all platforms soon.
But, if you watch a game after it has ended, they won’t display score, stat, or box score information.
10. No More Milestone Markers, But Still Have Live DVR
The ESPN+ App doesn’t have the milestone markers, so you won’t be able to jump to goals and penalties like you could in the NHL App. But they do have live DVR capability to rewind or jump forward, or watch from the beginning of the game. You can also manually jump to any point in time between the start and live play.
11. You Can Still See Stats Under the Game
During the live game, you can follow along with live NHL stats below the game stream. You can also choose to follow a player or team, which will bring news and their live games to the top of their “Home” feed in the ESPN App.
12. You Can Access Studio Shows with Your ESPN+ Subscription
In addition to “In The Crease,” a daily highlights show with Linda Cohn, you will also get the newly announced weekly studio program, “The Point”, hosted by John Buccigross.
How to Stream NHL.TV Internationally
Latin America
For those in other markets, you can also stream NHL.TV with a a subscription to their new Star+ service.
Europe & Africa
In a dozen countries across Europe, ESPN Player will provide complete coverage of every NHL game.
Australia and New Zealand
In Australia and New Zealand, fans will be able to stream every regular season and postseason NHL game – more than 1400 games on the ESPN App – including the entire Stanley Cup Final, the entire Stanley Cup Playoffs, NHL All-Star Weekend, NHL Winter Classic, NHL Stadium Series matches and more.
To access it you will need a TV subscription to Foxtel, Fetch TV and SKY NZ and select them as your TV Provider.
ESPN+
ESPN+ is a live TV streaming service that gives access to thousands of live sporting events, original shows like Peyton’s Place, the entire library of 30 for 30, E:60, The Last Dance, as well exclusive written analysis from top ESPN insiders.