TV Answer Man, I think you are wrong. I looked at the ESPN+ schedule and they don’t have many games for the Boston Bruins. It was almost none. I thought they were going to have all the games that NHL TV had. I subscribed to ESPN+ but I think I got screwed! — Jerry, Tampa, Florida.
Jerry, I have received more than a dozen e-mails in just the past week expressing the same concern. After perusing the ESPN+ schedule, they concluded that it will not provide as many games as NHL.TV did in previous seasons. In fact, some people say the streamer will have fewer than 100 games, not more than 1,000 as the NHL TV plan did.
(ESPN earlier this year purchased the out-of-market rights to NHL games starting with this season; this allowed the NHL to eliminate NHL TV and permit ESPN+ to be the sole provider of the out-of-market plan for streaming. See our article for more details.)
So what gives?
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The problem is that the readers, and likely many others, are apparently looking at the ESPN+ schedule of 75 exclusive NHL games that will be on the service this season. (When I asked a few readers why they thought ESPN+ would not stream 1,000 games this season, they pointed me to the schedule of 75 games.) In addition to those 75 exclusive games, ESPN+ will carry more than 1,000 out-of-market games, including both home and away broadcasts, just like NHL.TV did. (The 1,000 plus games are broadcasts from regional sports channels.)
For example, the streaming service this week will offer 27 games, starting with Tuesday’s opening night matchups between Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay, and Seattle and Vegas. You can see this week’s schedule here.
I’m not sure why so many people have become confused by this, but it’s probably a combination of ESPN being late in publishing its out-of-market NHL schedule and the fact that some are unaware of the transfer from NHL TV to ESPN+. Regardless, ESPN+ is the new NHL TV, and at $6.99 a month or $69.99 for one year, it’s a pretty good deal, particularly considering that the streamer also has a large number of other live sporting events, including MLB games.
And if you’re just a NHL fan, you could subscribe now (the 2021-22 season starts on October 12) through April and only pay $49 to watch those 1,000 out-of-market games. By comparison, the 2020-21 season of NHL.TV cost $144.99.
Jerry, hope that helps. Happy viewing, and stay safe!
Have a question about new TV technologies? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvpredictions.com. Please include your first name and hometown in your message.
— Phillip Swann
Thanks Swanni. Glad you’re there to look into these things for us. It’s getting to be too much for the regular guy just looking to watch TV.
will Espn plus have all of the NHL games like center ice?
ESPN+ is not as comprehensive as NHL.tv. Tonight, i was looking to stream the Blackhawks — Devils game (Oct 15). It was nowhere to be seen. the NHL says the game could be seen on fubo.tv, but that is yet another for-pay streaming service that doesn’t evening give the correct method to sign up on a Amazon TV Fire. Tomorrow, the Hawks will be playing Pittsburgh. it will only be on eh NHL Network, which cannot be streamed. The NHL.tv app will not stream games on the NHL network.
I am paying almost $80 on my DirecTV account for the NHL package….anf they advertised getting all games regardless of location you live. welp, that is not true anymore, because ESPN+ took 100 or so games, and i am NOT ABOUT to pay MORE for a streaming service. WTH??
The NHL package needs to send me money for games they say i can see…..nope, not at all. Can’t see anywhere if game on ESPN+
WHAT A RIP OFF!!!