How to Watch NHL on ESPN+

Hockey fans, get ready to hit the ice! ESPN+ is your ticket to catch all the NHL action this season. But you might be wondering, can you watch all NHL games on ESPN+? Let's dive in and find out everything you need to know about watching NHL on ESPN+. From regular season games to playoffs, we'll cover it all and even throw in some tips on how to save your favourite hockey moments.

Part 1. Can I Watch All NHL Games on ESPN+?

ESPN+ offers a ton of NHL games, but not quite all of them. It's important to understand what's available and what isn't, so you can make the most of your subscription. Let's break down the types of games you can watch and why some might not be available.

Types of Games Available on ESPN+

ESPN+ provides an impressive lineup of NHL content:

• Over 1,000 out-of-market regular season games: This means you can watch tons of games featuring teams that aren't in your local area. It's perfect for fans who live far from their favourite team or who just love watching hockey from all around the league.
• 75 national regular season games: These are big games that ESPN+ shows for everyone across the country. They often feature popular teams or matchups that lots of people want to see.
• Some NHL playoff games: While not all playoff games are on ESPN+, you can catch some of the exciting postseason action here.

This selection gives you access to a huge amount of hockey throughout the season. You can watch games almost every night if you want to!

Games Subject to Regional Blackouts

Here's where things get a bit tricky. You can't watch all NHL games on ESPN+ because of something called regional blackouts. These blackouts exist to protect local TV networks that pay a lot of money to show games in their area. Here's how it works:

• If you live in or near a team's home area, you might not be able to watch their games on ESPN+.
• Instead, these games are usually shown on local TV channels.
• The idea is to encourage fans to watch on local networks or attend games in person.

For example, if you live in New York and want to watch the Rangers, you might have to tune in to a local sports channel instead of using ESPN+. This can be frustrating, but it's part of how the NHL and TV networks have agreed to share games.

Remember, these blackouts only affect you for your local team's games. You can still watch tons of games from other teams around the league!

Part 2. Can I Watch NHL Playoffs on ESPN+?

Playoff time is when things get exciting! The stakes are higher, the games are more intense, and every fan wants to catch every moment. But can you watch NHL playoffs on ESPN+? The answer is... sort of. Let's break down what playoff content you can expect on ESPN+.

Limited Playoff Coverage

ESPN+ does show some playoff games, but not all of them. Here's what you can expect:

• You can watch some first and second-round games: These early playoff rounds often have the most games happening at once, so ESPN+ is a great way to catch some of the action.
• Exclusive coverage of some games: Sometimes, ESPN+ might be the only place to watch certain playoff matchups, making it valuable for die-hard fans.
• Highlights and analysis: Even for games not shown live, ESPN+ often provides highlights and expert analysis to keep you in the loop.

However, it's important to note that as the playoffs progress to later rounds, fewer games tend to be available on ESPN+.

National Playoff Games Aired Elsewhere

So why can't I watch NHL playoffs on ESPN+ for all the games? It's because different TV companies have the rights to show different games. Here's how it usually breaks down:

• Major networks like NBC, ABC, or TNT often get the rights to show the biggest playoff games, especially in later rounds.
• These networks pay a lot of money for these rights, so they get to show the games on their main channels.
• The Stanley Cup Final, for example, is almost always on a major network rather than a streaming service.

This means that to watch every single playoff game, you might need a combination of ESPN+, cable TV, and possibly other streaming services.

Check ESPN Schedules for Available Games

Because playoff game availability can be complicated, it's super important to stay informed. Here's what you should do:

• Always check the ESPN+ schedule before the playoffs start.
• The schedule can change from year to year, so don't assume it'll be the same as last season.
• Look for announcements from ESPN+ about which games they'll be showing.
• Be prepared to possibly need additional services to watch all the games you want to see.

By staying on top of the schedule, you can plan and make sure you don't miss any crucial games in your team's playoff run.

Part 3. Why Can't I Watch NHL Playoffs on ESPN+?

You might be scratching your head, wondering why ESPN+, which shows so many regular season games, doesn't have all the playoff action. Let's dive into the reasons behind this:

National Broadcast Rights Holders

The world of sports broadcasting is complex, especially when it comes to playoffs. Here's why:

• Different TV companies buy the rights to show NHL games. ESPN is just one of them.
• Others include ABC, TNT, and NBC. Each company gets to show certain games.
• These rights are often divided up before the season even starts.
• Playoff games, being more valuable, are often reserved for traditional TV networks.

This division of rights means that no single provider, including ESPN+, can offer every game.

More Money from Traditional TV Deals

There's a financial reason behind this setup:

• The NHL makes more money from showing games on regular TV than on streaming services like ESPN+.
• Traditional TV networks can charge more for advertising during playoff games.
• These networks also reach a wider audience, which is important for growing the sport.
• Big playoff games on major networks can attract casual fans who might not subscribe to a service like ESPN+.

Because of this, the NHL saves some of the biggest games for TV channels that lots of people watch.

Complicated Rights Landscape

The situation gets even trickier when you look at the big picture:

• With so many companies involved, it gets really complex to figure out who shows which games.
• Rights deals are often made years in advance and can last for several seasons.
• There are different deals for regular season games, early playoff rounds, and championship series.
• International broadcasting rights add another layer of complexity.

ESPN+ tries to offer as many games as they can, but they have to follow the rules about who can show what. This complicated landscape is why fans sometimes need multiple services to follow all the action.

Part 4. How to Watch Available NHL Games on ESPN+

Now that you understand what's available on ESPN+, let's talk about how to actually watch the games. It's easier than you might think!

Devices Supported

One of the great things about ESPN+ is that you can watch it on lots of different devices. This means you can catch the game whether you're at home or on the go. Here are some of the devices you can use:

• Smartphones (both iPhone and Android)
• Tablets
• Computers (through a web browser)
• Smart TVs
• Streaming devices like Roku or Amazon Fire Stick
• Game consoles like Xbox or PlayStation

This variety means you can watch on your big TV for the full experience, or on your phone if you're out and about.

Navigate to NHL Section

Getting to the NHL games on ESPN+ is pretty straightforward. Here's a step-by-step guide:

• 1.Sign up for ESPN+ if you haven't already
• 2.Download the ESPN app on your favourite device
• 3.Open the app and log in with your ESPN+ account
• 4.Look for the NHL section in the app - it's usually easy to find
• 5.Browse through the available games
• 6.Click on the game you want to watch

The app is designed to be user-friendly, so you should be able to find the games pretty easily.

Access Live and Replayed Games

ESPN+ offers flexibility in how you watch:

• You can watch games live as they happen. This is great for feeling part of the action and cheering along in real time.
• If you miss a game, don't worry! You can often watch replays later. This is perfect if you have a busy schedule or live in a different time zone.
• Some games even offer a "start from beginning" option, so you can start a game from the first puck drop even if you tune in late.

This flexibility means you never have to miss out, even if you can't watch right when the game is happening.

Customer Support for Any Issues

Sometimes technology can be tricky. If you have any problems, ESPN+ has got your back:

• There's usually a help section in the app with answers to common questions.
• You can reach out to ESPN+ customer support if you need more help.
• They can assist with issues like login problems, video quality, or finding specific games.

Don't be afraid to ask for help if you need it! They want you to have a good experience watching hockey.

Part 5. HitPaw Video Converter: Download NHL Videos for Offline Watching

Do you want to save your favourite NHL moments to watch later? Maybe you want to study a great play or just relive an awesome goal. That's where the HitPaw Video Converter comes in handy. Let's explore this cool tool that can help you download and save videos.

HitPaw Video Converter is a versatile software that goes beyond just converting videos from one format to another. It's a powerful tool that can download videos from various websites. You can use it to convert videos into different formats, making them playable on various devices.

Features of HitPaw Video Converter

• Download videos from 10000+ sites including YouTube, Bilibili, TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, etc.
• Download NHL videos to 8K/4K quality
• Edit videos after downloading in the built-in edior
• Convert NHL videos to share on different platform and devices
• It works on both Windows and Mac computers

The Steps to Download NHL Videos

Free install HitPaw Video Converter to computer, and follow the easy steps to download NHL videos.

• Step 1.In the NHL official website, open the video that you want to download, and copy its link from the browser address bar.

  

• Step 2.Open HitPaw Video Converter, and switch to the Download tab. Click Paste URL to automatically paste the copied link and analyze it.

  

• Step 3.After analysis, select an output format and quality.

  

• Step 4.Click the Download button to start downloading NHL video.

  

• Step 5.After the download is completed, you can access to the Downloaded tab to play the video offline or transfer it to other devices.

  

Conclusion

ESPN+ is a fantastic way for hockey fans to watch tons of NHL games. While you can't watch all NHL games on ESPN+ due to blackouts and rights issues, you still get to see a lot of awesome hockey action.

Remember, while ESPN+ offers a lot, you might need additional services or cable TV to catch every single game, especially during playoffs. And we recommend a video downloader tool - HitPaw Video Converter to download NHL video for offline watching without ads or internet.