The NHL’s second shortened season is well underway. The league’s 31 franchises have reached the halfway mark for a season scheduled to end after 56 regular-season games.
Currently, the NHL has partnerships with dozens of international media networks that help broadcast the league to the world. Here we highlight seven of the best ways to watch NHL hockey regardless of where in the world you live.
#1: NHL Broadcast Partners
The NHL has broadcasting deals with tons of networks around the world. In the United Kingdom, you can watch NHL hockey games through Premier Sports and Setanta. Setanta also holds broadcasting rights in Ireland.
Canal Plus Sports broadcasts the NHL in French and owns the broadcasting rights in France, French Speaking Switzerland, St. Martin, Martinique, Sub Sahara Africa, and Polynesia. You can also enjoy NHL games throughout Sub-Sahara Africa thanks to Setanta Africa and Zuku Sports.
Setanta Sport also holds the rights for broadcasting NHL games in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Armenia, Georgia, and Belarus. In Germany, Austria, and Luxembourg, Sport 1 covers and broadcasts the NHL.
In the Middle East, the best way to watch NHL games is through Fox Sports Middle East. Fox Sports broadcasts in Iraq, Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait, Oman, the UAE, Palestine, Libya, Lebanon, and Yemen.
In Australia, Fox Sports is the main broadcaster of NHL games while Sky Sports covers New Zealand. In Far East Asia, the best choice is All Sports Network, while ESPN Brazil broadcasts the NHL in Brazil.
#2: NHL.TV
NHL.tv is the best platform for streaming NHL games for most people. Picture this. You’re on a holiday trip to Italy. Your hotel room has cable TV but none of the available channels broadcast NHL games.
How can you watch hockey? NHL.tv ensures you get access to non-stop hockey throughout the season. Because of the shortened season, an all-league pass now costs $99.99. It provides access to all regular-season games, the playoffs, and the Stanley Cup.
Alternatively, you can pay $24.99 per month for the same subscription. Had you chosen this plan at the start of the season, it would have set you back more than $100 by the time the season is over. That said, there was also the option of paying $84.99 for a single team the entire season.
Given the season is past halfway, the monthly plan makes the most sense. You can save more than a month’s subscription fee. This is money you can use to buy a VPN subscription, of course, after testing its services through a VPN trial.
#3: FuboTV
FuboTV is the future of sports, at least if you’re willing to cut the cord for good. FuboTV is a streaming network akin to YouTube TV, Amazon Prime Video, and Sling TV. It provides over 80 networks with a bias for sports entertainment.
The streaming service costs $60 per month. That means a two-month subscription is more expensive than the amount NHL.tv charges for an entire season worth of access. So, why subscribe to FuboTV?
It’s the best streaming service for a general sports fan. Think about the NFL, NBA, MLB, MLS, and international sports. FuboTV converges all major sports channels to one platform. The networks include Fox, NBC, ABC, CBS Sports, ESPN, NBA TV, NFL Network, and beIN Sports.
#4: Sportsnet Now
Sportsnet Now is the best way to watch NHL games in Canada. It’s an affordable service that costs $19.99 for a basic plan and $27.99 for SN Now. The service provides 300+ NHL games, including regional games for the Oilers, Leafs, Canucks, and Flames.
Of course, Sportsnet Now’s plans also give you coverage for the playoffs, Hockey Night, Scotiabank Wednesday, Rogers Hometown Hockey, and the Stanley Cup. Hockey aside, SN Now also features the NBA, MLB, English soccer, and WWE.
In light of that information, Sportsnet Now offers the best value for your money if you’re only after a sports streaming network. FuboTV features more networks, but it three times SN Now. NHL TV gives you access to the entire season but it’s about hockey only.
#5: Kayo Sports
Kayo Sports is a relatively new streaming network based in Australia. It provides on-demand sports content from networks like ESPN, FOX, beIN Sports, and Racing.com. In light of that information, it’s an excellent alternative to NHL.tv, especially if you also fancy non-hockey coverage.
Kayo Sports charges $25 per month for a basic plan and $35 per month for access to an extended list of sports networks. Thanks to beIN Sports, Fox, and ESPN, you can use Kayo to watch American football, European football, the NBA, and MLB.
#6: YouTube TV
Tired of only getting highlights and not live NHL matches on YouTube? Try YouTube TV. It has a free trial for about seven days to a month. After that, you have to pay $65 for a monthly plan. It’s an expensive plan if you’re only interest is the NHL.
But if you also like to watch baseball, football, soccer, and other sports, then pay some attention to YouTube TV. Not only will you get access to your favorite sports through ABC, CBS All Access, Fox, and ESPN, but you’ll also get a ton of other non-sports networks.
YouTube is arguably the best-rated streaming network for a reason. It provides the best of TV on one platform. Sure, FuboTV beats YouTube TV for sports coverage. But when it’s about watching TV in general, Google’s service comes out on top.
#7: Hulu Plus Live TV
Hulu Plus Live TV competes neck and neck with YouTube. It used to charge $50 per month. Then YouTube increased its fee to $65 and Hulu followed next. The companies provide a near similar catalog of entertainment channels, from sports and comedy to anime and cartoons.
Strictly sports, Hulu Plus Live TV showcases NBA TV, MLB Network, ESPN, ESPN 2. NBC Sports Network and the Olympic Channel. It also features the Gold Channel, BTN and the Tennis Channel.