TV Answer Man, do you know if the NHL finals will be in 4K? And will it be on ESPN+ so we can stream it if we want to? — Marlene, Buffalo.
Marlene, the 2022 NHL Stanley Cup Finals, which will pit the Tampa Bay Lightning versus the Colorado Avalanche, begins Wednesday night (June 15) with game one at 8 p.m. ET. Each game will be broadcast by ABC, but I have good news for you. ESPN+, the streaming service for the sports network, will also carry each game of the series.
But will any of the games be available in 4K, you ask?
The answer is no. ABC, and its sister network, ESPN, have never done a single NHL game in 4K, including this year’s playoffs. And it will be no different for the Stanley Cup finals. (And ESPN+ has never done anything in 4K; the Stanley Cup final simulcasts will be in high-def.)
Altitude Sports, the TV home of the Colorado Avalanche, offers 4K feeds of Avalanche home games, but the channel is not doing a live broadcast of the Stanley Cup finals so no 4K there, either.
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This is another disappointment for 4K enthusiasts as the networks continue to refrain from offering 4K broadcasts of such high-profile events as the NBA Finals, horse racing’s Triple Crown, NASCAR’s Daytona 500 and the last two Super Bowls. For various reasons, including cost and a lack of available resources, such as trucks and labor, the networks have decided that 4K is often more trouble than it’s worth.
Marlene, wish I had better news. But happy viewing and stay safe!
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— Phillip Swann
@tvanswerman