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The best streaming deals to watch NHL games at a glance:
Another hockey season is upon us, which means it’s time once again to figure out how to watch your favorite NHL team. And fair warning: it’s not easy. We recently estimated that it would cost over $800 and 11 different streaming services to watch every NFL football game this season. The NHL streaming situation isn’t that bad, but it’s not great.
Every year, watching live sports get more and more difficult for those without cable (and even those with cable). But lucky for you, we’ve done some of the dirty work for you to make your life a little bit easier. Hockey season is stressful enough without having to figure out how to watch the next game.
Behold, the ultimate guide to watching every NHL game in the 2025-2026 season.
When does hockey season start?
The 2025-2026 NHL season opened on Oct. 7 with a triple header, including the Stanley Cup-winning Florida Panthers raising their banner. The regular season runs through April 16, 2026, but thanks to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, there will be almost a month-long break in February. You can check out the full schedule on the official NHL website.
What channels are the NHL games on?
If you have cable or access to a cable login, live games will air on the ESPN/ESPN2/ABC family of networks, TNT/truTV/TBS family of networks, NHL Network, and regional sports networks throughout the season. If you don’t have cable, you’ll need a streaming service or two to catch live games (more on that below).
Check out the official schedule on NHL.com to find out which channel to tune into for specific games.
How can I watch NHL games without cable?
Here’s where things get complicated. If you don’t have cable access or a cable login, you’ll need at least one streaming service to catch NHL games live. Let’s start with the easy part: national broadcasts. Nationally broadcast games will either be on ESPN’s family of networks, TNT’s family of networks, NHL Network, or ESPN+ (now ESPN Select). Here’s a breakdown of their streaming counterparts.
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ESPN+ Broadcasts: Stream with ESPN Select or Hulu
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TNT Broadcasts: Stream on HBO Max
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ESPN Broadcasts: Stream with ESPN Unlimited
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ABC Broadcasts: Stream with ESPN Select or ESPN Unlimited
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NHL Network Broadcasts: no streaming counterpart
In-market games
As NHL fans know, national broadcasts only make up a small fraction of the full slate of games. Most games are broadcast locally on regional sports networks (RSNs). Many of these RSNs (but not all) offer their own streaming subscriptions, like FanDuel Sports Network or Gotham Sports. If you’re unsure which RSN you need to watch your local team, the NHL actually does a great job of laying it all out on their website — you can also check out the FAQs below.
The most direct way to access these RSNs is through their individual subscription offers. Of course, because streaming sports is notoriously complicated, not every RSN has its own streaming counterpart. For these, you’ll need a cable alternative like Fubo or DirecTV Stream, which cost a pretty penny.
Out-of-market games
If you’re a fan of an out-of-market team, it’s actually a bit easier to watch your team’s games than it is if you’re in-market (crazy, right?). ESPN Select (formerly ESPN+) streams practically all regional broadcasts for teams that aren’t in your local market. For example, I live in Nashville, but I’m a Washington Capitals fan. I can watch all regional Capitals broadcasts on ESPN Select, but Nashville Predators broadcasts are blacked out. For national broadcasts, you’ll still need access to ABC, ESPN, NHL Network, and TNT (see above streaming counterparts).
Which streaming services do I need to watch NHL games?
If you’re a fan of your local team, your first order of business should be to figure out which regional sports network you need. If the RSN offers its own streaming subscription, this is your best bet for watching the most games. If it doesn’t, you’re going to need a cable alternative that offers RSN access — most likely Fubo or DirecTV Stream.
If you don’t have cable access or a cable alternative, you’ll need a couple streaming services for every game that’s not regionally broadcast: HBO Max and ESPN. HBO Max will give you access to all TNT broadcasts, while ESPN will unlock access to ABC and ESPN broadcasts, as well as ESPN+ exclusive games.
The best streaming deals to watch NHL games
Just because sports require a ton of subscriptions doesn’t mean you have to break the bank. We’ve found several streaming deals that can keep some extra money in your pocket this hockey season.
Best for ESPN, ABC, and ESPN+ games: Save 16% on the ESPN Unlimited yearly plan
ESPN’s direct-to-consumer streaming service, launched this past summer, now offers access to the entire suite of ESPN networks and services to sports fans in one subscription. For the sake of hockey, you’ll get to stream games from ESPN, ESPN on ABC, and ESPN+ (ESPN Select). It typically costs $29.99 per month, but if you commit to a full year, you’ll save about 16% or nearly $60. Of course, you can watch a whole lot more than just NHL games, making the yearly plan worth it particularly for fans of multiple sports.
Mashable Deals
Best for TNT, TBS, and truTV games: Save 16% on the HBO Max Standard yearly plan
A Max Standard subscription includes the B/R Sports add-on, which includes access to the NHL on TNT games (and simulcast TBS and truTV games). It costs $16.99 per month, but if you opt for a yearly plan, that cost drops down to just $14.16 per month. You’ll save 16% or $33.89 by paying for the full year up front.
The most games for the lowest price: Sling TV Orange Season Pass
Sling TV’s Orange plan is your best bet to watch the most NHL national broadcasts in one place for the lowest price. The Orange plan includes access to ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, TNT, and TBS, plus 30 other channels. While that doesn’t include ABC, most ABC NHL games are also available through ESPN3, so you’ll be all set.
Sling subscriptions are a la carte, so you can add to and take away from your plan with no worries and cancel or pause your subscription at any time. The Orange plan costs $46 per month, but if you sign up for a Season Pass (5 months), you’ll pay about $39.80 per month in one lump sum. It’s not the biggest savings — about $31 — but it’s the most bang for your buck.
Best for out-of-market games: Save 16% on the ESPN Select annual plan
As mentioned above, ESPN Select allows you to watch all out-of-market regional games all season long. It will also exclusively host 47 games this season. A monthly subscription will run you $11.99, but if you sign up for a year up front with the Select annual plan, it’ll cost just $9.99 per month ($119.99/year). That’s 16% or $23.89 in savings.
Note: ESPN+ is now ESPN Select. If you were formerly an ESPN+ subscriber, you’ll automatically be switched to the ESPN Select plan.
