The NHL has recently signed deals with the Walt Disney Company and Turner Sports that make it easier for fans to watch hockey without cable. But there are some things to know before you go streaming.
One thing to keep in mind is that some games are blacked out for local audiences. That means that if your team doesn’t sell out their home game, you won’t be able to watch it on your streaming service in your area.
Hulu + Live TV
Hulu + Live TV is an affordable live streaming service that offers many popular channels, including ABC, ESPN, and TNT. It also includes a library of movies and TV shows.
It’s a great choice for those who want to watch local NHL MLB and NBA games without paying the high prices of cable. You can sign up for a free trial and see for yourself how it works.
The service is available on a variety of devices, including phones, tablets, smart TVs, gaming consoles, and streaming media players. You can also access it in a browser on your computer.
A key advantage of Hulu + Live TV is its bundle deal with Disney, giving subscribers a massive library of family-friendly content. It also comes with an unlimited cloud DVR, allowing you to record your favorite shows and sports events for up to nine months, and skip through commercials on recordings.
For a monthly fee, you can add on premium channel packages, such as HBO Max and Showtime. However, this will limit how many devices can stream from one account at a time. You can purchase an unlimited screen add-on to remove this limitation, but it costs $9.99 a month.
Hulu also carries a wide range of regional sports networks (RSNs) in markets where it is available. These include NBC RSNs and Bally Sports Networks in some areas.
The basic Hulu+ Live TV package has 13 major sports networks, but it is missing sport-specific channels like NFL Network, NBA TV, MLB Network, and FOX Soccer Plus. Thankfully, it does carry the national sports networks that are important to hockey fans, and it includes the FS1 and FS2 channels from FOX.
It also carries a good selection of regional sports networks and NBC Sports Network, but it’s not as good as some other streaming services. It is also missing some of the most popular hockey games, including the Stanley Cup Final.
You can sign up for a free trial of Hulu+ Live TV, and you can watch NHL MLB and NBA games on any device, including mobile devices. It’s available on Android, iOS, Apple TV, Chromecast, Fire TV, Echo Show, and Nintendo Switch. It’s also available in a browser on your desktop or laptop computer.
Sling TV
Sling TV is a live TV streaming service that offers a wide range of channels at a reasonable cost. In addition to sports, it also offers news, entertainment, and children’s programming. You can choose between two base packages, Sling Orange or Sling Blue, and a variety of add-ons to customize your lineup.
Sling Orange is a good choice for NHL games, as it includes ESPN, TNT, and TBS, while the Sports Extra add-on also provides access to the NHL Network. You can also watch hockey games on DIRECTV Stream or fuboTV, which both include the NHL Network in specific packages.
Some of these services will also let you watch out-of-market games on demand, but some require you to subscribe to ESPN Plus in order to get a full slate of league-owned channels. Hulu + Live TV, however, does not offer the NHL Network, but it does offer a subscription to ESPN Plus that includes NHL games.
Another option is to get an over-the-air antenna, which will provide you with a large number of local channels. Most of these services also offer a DVR, so you can record games.
The biggest downside to Sling TV is that it does not offer many of the local channels that competing services do. If you want a complete local network experience, you will need to supplement your Sling subscription with an over-the-air antenna and a $99 AirTV 2 DVR.
If you’re new to streaming TV, Sling offers a free trial period. You can cancel your subscription anytime before the trial expires. If you’re not sure whether to sign up, it’s best to try out a free trial for several months and see how it works before making a commitment.
It’s also worth checking out a few other streaming services before you make the switch to Sling. Some of them offer a similar range of channels, including Hulu and YouTube TV. Others are primarily on-demand, such as Plex and Crackle.
Sling TV’s channel lineup is a bit more competitive than other live-streaming services, but it still has some major gaps. Some networks are missing from the lineup, including ABC and CBS. Other major networks, such as FOX and NBC, are available in some markets.
FuboTV
FuboTV is one of the best live TV streaming services available and it offers a huge variety of channels. This includes all the major sports networks and regional sports networks that air your local team’s games.
The service has a simple and user-friendly interface, making it ideal for sports fans. It also has good search functionality and a comprehensive TV guide. You can also record shows for later viewing.
It has a large selection of live games and on-demand content to choose from, including many popular shows. It also features an app that allows you to watch your favorite programs on any device.
Another benefit of fuboTV is that it has a great collection of add-ons, including several premium channels. These include MLB Network + MLB StrikeZone, the NHL Network and The Poker Channel.
Moreover, there are plenty of Spanish-language channels as well. This is a plus for sports fans and people with Spanish-speaking friends and family.
The service is a little pricey but it has a lot to offer and it’s a great way to enjoy live events. It also offers a free 7-day trial so you can check out its lineup before signing up.
Aside from that, it has a nice assortment of movies and series to choose from. There’s even a 4K streaming option for high-definition video.
It also offers an app for mobile devices and a web-based player. You can stream on up to 10 devices at once, which is a nice feature for families.
You can also get a subscription to NBA Game Center, which allows you to watch your favorite teams play on the big screen. However, this is only available if you’re subscribed to a major telco or cable provider, so it’s not a great deal for anyone outside the US.
It’s important to note that all major sports leagues have national broadcasts on the major cable networks, so if you’re looking for the most local NHL action, fuboTV isn’t the best choice. It’s also not as cheap as other options like Sling or Philo.
YouTube TV
YouTube TV is one of the most popular alternatives to cable TV thanks to an extensive channel lineup, unlimited cloud DVR and streamlined design. If you’re a sports fan, it’s a great choice because it includes access to three major sports networks for $65 per month.
It also offers a variety of channels in the entertainment category, including favorites like AMC, Comedy Central, Discovery, E!, Food Network, TBS, The CW, TNT and USA Network. The service also beats its competition in the news channel space, with more than 13 news channels offered.
In addition, it has more local affiliate channels than Sling TV and Hulu + Live TV. To find out if YouTube TV has the local channels you want, visit the company’s website and enter your ZIP code.
With a single subscription, up to six users can share one account. Each user has their own individual cloud DVR, watch history and preferences. This makes it easy for multiple family members to watch their favorite shows at the same time.
On the downside, it’s not always possible to stream 4K video. This could be due to the size of the streams or the quality of the streaming hardware. In any case, it’s worth checking whether your device supports 4K before you sign up.
It’s also important to note that some networks don’t offer HD versions of their programming. This is especially true of the NBC, Fox and CBS broadcasts.
If you’re a sports fan, YouTube TV is one of the best options for watching local NHL MLB and NBA games without cable. It offers access to NFL Network, NBA TV and MLB Network for only $65 per month.
The service’s unlimited cloud DVR is a major selling point, as it allows subscribers to record as many hours of programming as they need. It’s also free of commercials, which is a big deal for sports fans.
In addition, the service offers local affiliate channels for ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX in most areas of the country. Its live guide is a bit cable-like, but it’s been updated to make it easier for users to save content to the DVR.
