NHLUpdated Jun 16, 2026
How to Watch the NHL 2026-27 Season in the USA
Every way to watch the 2026-27 NHL season in the US — ABC free over-the-air (and the Stanley Cup Final), ESPN and ESPN Select, TNT/TBS and HBO Max. Which services you need and the free options.
By Matchcast Editorial · Published
Broadcasters
5
Free options
Yes
Coverage
Global
The short answer
National NHL coverage in the US is split between two media groups. Disney/ESPN holds one half: games on ABC (free over the air), ESPN and ESPN2, and streaming on ESPN Select — and ABC is the exclusive home of the Stanley Cup Final. Warner Bros. Discovery holds the other half: games on TNT and TBS, streaming on HBO Max via the B/R Sports add-on. ABC's Saturday national games are genuinely free with an antenna, and the Stanley Cup Final is on ABC. For everything else you need a pay-TV login or a streaming subscription. Both the ESPN and the TNT deals run through the 2027-28 season, so this national split is stable for the 2026-27 season and beyond.
Disney/ESPN: ABC, ESPN and ESPN Select
Disney's NHL package runs across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and the ESPN App, part of a seven-year deal that runs through the 2027-28 season. ABC carries national over-the-air games — most visibly on Saturdays — which are free to anyone with a digital antenna, and ABC is the exclusive home of the Stanley Cup Final. That makes the championship round free to watch over the air in the US.
ESPN and ESPN2 carry national linear games for cable and streaming-TV subscribers. The streaming home is ESPN Select — the service that was rebranded from ESPN+ on August 21, 2025 — which carries exclusive streamed games plus more than 1,050 out-of-market games through NHL Power Play on the ESPN App. Note the distinction: ESPN Select carries the out-of-market and exclusive-streamed games, but to stream the full ESPN and ESPN2 national networks you need ESPN's direct-to-consumer tier (ESPN Unlimited / ESPN DTC) or a pay-TV login. Check ESPN for the current price of ESPN Select and the DTC tier at sign-up.
TNT, TBS and HBO Max
Warner Bros. Discovery holds the other national NHL package, also under a seven-year deal running through the 2027-28 season. Turner Sports carries national games on TNT (and TBS/truTV), and its marquee events include the NHL Winter Classic and the Black Friday game, plus first- and second-round and conference-final playoff coverage. The TNT studio presentation is one of the most-praised in US hockey.
The streaming home for TNT Sports' NHL games is HBO Max, via the B/R Sports add-on. That add-on carries the TNT regular-season select games and playoff games on the Standard and Premium HBO Max plans, and TNT Sports holds the Stanley Cup Final in 2027 (the Disney/ABC and TNT sides alternate the Final across the deal). So an HBO Max subscriber with B/R Sports streams the TNT side of the national schedule. Check HBO Max for current plan pricing and whether B/R Sports is included on your tier.
What is free, and what you need to pay for
The free layer is real but selective. ABC's national over-the-air games — the Saturday national windows — are free with a digital antenna, and the Stanley Cup Final is on ABC, so the championship round is free over the air. That is the best free NHL access in the US.
Everything beyond the ABC national windows needs a subscription of some kind. The ESPN/ESPN2 and TNT/TBS national linear games need a pay-TV package or the relevant streaming tier (ESPN's DTC service, or HBO Max with B/R Sports). Out-of-market games — following a team that is not in your local market all season — run through ESPN Select on the ESPN App. Your own local team's games are typically on a regional sports network, which is a separate subscription again.
So a US hockey fan's setup depends on what they want: the ABC national games and the Stanley Cup Final for free over the air; ESPN Select for out-of-market games; an ESPN DTC tier or pay-TV login for the full ESPN/ESPN2 national slate; and HBO Max with B/R Sports for the TNT side. Check each provider's site for current pricing.
NHL schedule and Matchcast
The NHL regular season runs from October 2026 through April 2027, followed by the Stanley Cup Playoffs through to the Final in June 2027. National games cluster on the broadcast nights — ABC's Saturdays, ESPN's and TNT's weeknight doubleheaders — while the rest of each night's slate runs on regional sports networks and out-of-market streaming.
Matchcast lists every NHL fixture with its US broadcaster, so you can see whether a given game is a free ABC national window, an ESPN or TNT national game, or an out-of-market game you would watch on ESPN Select. For the Stanley Cup Final, the answer is ABC — free over the air for every US viewer.
NHL Broadcasters
- VisitABCFreeABC
Free over-the-air national games (most visibly Saturdays) under Disney/ESPN's deal through 2027-28, and the exclusive home of the Stanley Cup Final — free with a digital antenna.
- VisitESPN / ESPN2Pay TVESPNESPN2
National linear NHL games for pay-TV and streaming-TV subscribers; part of the 100-game ESPN package through the 2027-28 season. Stream the full networks via ESPN's DTC tier or a pay-TV login.
- VisitESPN SelectStreaming
Disney/ESPN's streaming home, rebranded from ESPN+ on August 21, 2025. Exclusive streamed games plus 1,050+ out-of-market games via NHL Power Play on the ESPN App. Check ESPN for the current price.
- VisitTNT / TBSPay TVTNTTBStruTV
Turner Sports/WBD national games under a seven-year deal through 2027-28 — including the NHL Winter Classic, the Black Friday game and first/second-round and conference-final playoff coverage. Holds the 2027 Stanley Cup Final.
- VisitHBO MaxStreaming
Streaming home for TNT Sports' NHL games via the B/R Sports add-on — regular-season select and playoff games on the Standard and Premium plans, plus the 2027 Stanley Cup Final. Check HBO Max for current plan pricing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I watch the NHL for free in the US?
Partly. ABC carries national over-the-air NHL games — most visibly on Saturdays — which are free with a digital antenna, and ABC is the exclusive home of the Stanley Cup Final, so the championship round is free over the air. Everything beyond the ABC national windows (the full ESPN/ESPN2 and TNT/TBS national slates, out-of-market games and your local team) needs a pay-TV login or a streaming subscription.
What is ESPN Select and is it the same as ESPN+?
ESPN Select is the new name for ESPN+. Disney rebranded ESPN+ to ESPN Select on August 21, 2025. It carries exclusive streamed NHL games plus more than 1,050 out-of-market games via NHL Power Play on the ESPN App. To stream the full ESPN and ESPN2 national networks you need ESPN's direct-to-consumer tier or a pay-TV login, not just ESPN Select. Check ESPN for current pricing.
How do I stream TNT's NHL games?
Through HBO Max, via the B/R Sports add-on. TNT Sports' NHL games — the TNT/TBS national slate including the Winter Classic and select playoff rounds — stream on HBO Max's Standard and Premium plans with B/R Sports. TNT Sports also holds the 2027 Stanley Cup Final. Check HBO Max for current plan pricing and whether B/R Sports is included on your tier.
Where is the Stanley Cup Final on TV in the US?
It depends on the year, because Disney/ABC and TNT Sports alternate the Final across their seven-year deals. ABC is the exclusive home of the Stanley Cup Final in the Disney years (free over the air with an antenna), and TNT Sports holds the 2027 Final, which streams on HBO Max via B/R Sports. Matchcast lists the broadcaster for each Final game.
How do I watch out-of-market NHL games in the US?
Through ESPN Select (formerly ESPN+) on the ESPN App, which carries more than 1,050 out-of-market games via NHL Power Play — the way to follow a team that is not in your local market all season. Your own local team's games are usually on a regional sports network, which is a separate subscription. Check ESPN for the current ESPN Select price.