The Cheapest Way to Watch the NHL in 2026

The NHL plays an 82-game regular season from October to April, followed by the four-round Stanley Cup Playoffs that culminate in the Stanley Cup Final in June. 32 franchises compete across the Eastern and Western Conferences. The US national rights are split between ESPN/ABC/Hulu (which holds 75% of national exclusive games) and TNT (which holds 25% plus the Stanley Cup Final in alternating years). Out-of-market games are carried by ESPN+ and the standalone NHL.tv (now branded as ESPN+ in the US). In Canada, Sportsnet holds nearly all national rights, with TVA Sports carrying French-language coverage. Hockey Night in Canada continues to broadcast on CBC Saturday nights as part of Sportsnet's package.

ESPN+ at $11.99/month carries every out-of-market NHL game in the United States. This is the only legal way to watch teams outside your local market for every game. Local team games are blacked out on ESPN+, requiring access via the local RSN. ESPN+ is bundled with Disney+ at $14.99/month for the Duo plan, which is one of the best-value sports streaming deals globally. TNT carries about 75 games per season including selected playoff coverage. Access is via Max with B/R Sports add-on at $9.99/month above the standard Max subscription. ABC and ESPN cable channels carry national exclusive games — included with cable, YouTube TV ($82.99/month), or fuboTV ($84.99/month). For a US fan, the cheapest "watch the most NHL" combination is ESPN+ ($11.99) + Max ($9.99 add-on) at about $22/month combined — covers every out-of-market regular season game plus most national TNT broadcasts.

Sportsnet is the dominant NHL broadcaster in Canada. Sportsnet NOW (the streaming sibling) is C$24.99/month and carries every Canadian-market team's games plus national exclusive coverage. CBC carries Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday evenings free over-the-air, simulcast from Sportsnet — a legitimate free way to watch a doubleheader of NHL games every Saturday during the season. For French-language coverage, TVA Sports carries selected games at C$15-20/month depending on package. Cheapest legal "watch as much NHL as possible" path in Canada is Sportsnet NOW at C$24.99/month plus the free CBC Saturday games.

Premier Sports and Viaplay split UK NHL rights. Premier Sports at £9.99/month carries selected games and NHL Centre Ice International at around £140/season for every game. In Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark — countries with massive NHL fanbases driven by domestic players — Viaplay holds exclusive Nordic rights at SEK 549/month or equivalent (~€48/month). This is one of the most expensive NHL packages globally, reflecting how much Nordic fans value the league. In Germany, ServusTV carries selected games free, with full coverage via DAZN Germany. For every other European market, NHL Centre Ice International is the catchall product at €25-35/month-equivalent depending on country.

The Stanley Cup Playoffs follow the regular season and run for two months from mid-April to mid-June. ESPN/ABC and TNT split first-round coverage, with the Conference Finals and Stanley Cup Final alternating between the two broadcasters in even/odd years. In the US, ESPN+ and Max with B/R Sports between them cover the entire playoffs at about $22/month combined. Sportsnet covers the entire playoffs in Canada at C$24.99/month via Sportsnet NOW, with CBC simulcasting Final games free over-the-air. Premier Sports in the UK carries selected playoff coverage. NHL Centre Ice International covers every playoff game. The Stanley Cup Final is one of the biggest single-event postseason TV draws in North American sports — the 2026 Final is scheduled for early June.

Cheapest legitimate "watch every NHL game" routes: - US: ESPN+ at $11.99/month for out-of-market games + Max with B/R Sports at $9.99/month for TNT national games (~$22/month combined). - Canada: Sportsnet NOW at C$24.99/month for nearly everything + CBC free for Hockey Night in Canada Saturdays. - UK: Premier Sports at £9.99/month for selected games + NHL Centre Ice International at ~£140/season for everything. - Worldwide (outside US/Canada/Nordic): NHL Centre Ice International at $25-35/month-equivalent. - Nordic countries: Viaplay at SEK 549/month or equivalent — most expensive globally but the only product carrying every game. Free options: - Hockey Night in Canada Saturday doubleheaders on CBC (Canada). - Selected ServusTV games in Germany. - Stanley Cup Final on Sportsnet/CBC simulcast in Canada.