DIRECTV’s ESPN App Delay Could Cost Satellite Subs the NHL Power Play

By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man – Follow me on X.

TV Answer Man, I am a DIRECTV satellite subscriber and a big hockey fan. I normally get the NHL Center Ice plan from DIRECTV but I read that we are supposed to get the new ESPN app for free and it’s going to have all the out of market NHL games! So what should I do? Should I get NHL Center Ice or can we get the games from ESPN? – Marcus, St. Paul, Minnesota.

Marcus, as you may know, DIRECTV’s streaming subscribers now have free and full access to the new ESPN Unlimited app. The new sports streamer has all the ESPN live channel feeds and on-demand programming. In addition, DIRECTV streaming customers get access to premium events such as Saturday’s Wrestlepalooza and ESPN+ which this season will again offer the NHL Power Play which offers more than 1,000 out-of-market hockey matches.

DIRECTV says its satellite customers will get free and full access sometime in the fall, but it won’t give an exact date. (Satellite subscribers who have ESPN in their plans can now access the live ESPN channel feeds but not the extra programming such as Wrestlepalooza and NHL Power Play.)

With the NHL season starting on October 7, this is creating a dilemma for DIRECTV satellite subscribers who are hockey fans. Do they subscribe to DIRECTV’s NHL Center Ice plan, which also has the out-of-market games, or do they wait and hope that DIRECTV activates their full ESPN access before the season begins? Since DIRECTV says it will be sometime in the fall, that could be anywhere between Monday, September 22, and December 22. If they wait too long, they will miss a significant number of games.

I asked an ESPN spokeswoman today about this situation and she confirmed that DIRECTV’s satellite subscribers, as of now, would need to get a separate subscription to ESPN+ (also known as ESPN Select) for $11.99 a month to watch the NHL Power Play games.

Well, NHL Center Ice costs $69.99 so I would recommend getting ESPN+ on October 7 until the ESPN activation kicks in, assuming it hasn’t kicked in by then. Hopefully, you will only have to subscribe for a month or two.

Marcus, I hope that answers your question. Happy viewing and stay safe!

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