NHL.TV Subscription

[Tawnos]

It's amazing that it's this hard to watch sports

Whats hard about it?

 

[sbjnyc]

Whats hard about it?

Maybe he's a Met fan?

 

[tbassler]

Center Ice doesn’t give you anything that ESPN+ doesn’t.

Once again, you need three things. And this goes for ALL out of market watchers. Doesn’t matter which one.

1.) ESPN+ OR Center Ice
2.) A way to watch ESPN, TNT and ABC (cable package OR live streaming service like Hulu Live, Sling, etc)
3.) A way to watch your local regional sports network. If you’re in LA, you’ll need a way to watch Fox Sports West. If you’re in Colorado, you’ll need a way to watch Altitude Sports. Could be cable. Some of those are on streaming services as well. Also, since this one is so few games, it might be worth watching at a bar. I’ve done that a bunch here in NC for Hurricanes games.

I live inColorado. Get all the Rangers games. Have to buy a VPN for all the Avalanche games. $1.99/month.

I bought season tickets to ten games this year. The first one I picked was the Rangers game.

 

[Tawnos]

I live inColorado. Get all the Rangers games. Have to buy a VPN for all the Avalanche games. $1.99/month.

I bought season tickets to ten games this year. The first one I picked was the Rangers game.

I'm never really sure how much we're supposed to be discussing things like VPN etc because those aren't "legal" ways to watch. But yeah, VPN can work for games in your local market depending on the device you're using. If you watch through Roku, for example, there is no VPN option. Last I tried to watch anything via VPN on my iPhone, it didn't work either because iPhone isn't using IP address for your location. Been a couple of years since that.

For a lot of us out-of-market, the blackouts aren't a lot so long as you have a way to view the national broadcasts. I live in NC. Last year, I wasn't blacked out at all, because the Rangers didn't play the Hurricanes. It's 4 games this year. 4 out of 82 isn't worth spending a much time or money figuring out a solution for.

This isn't universally true across all markets and all sports. If you're a Mets fan in Charlotte, NC then you are considered to be in the market for the Braves, the Nationals, the Orioles, and believe it or not, the Reds. You start approaching 1/3 of the games being blacked out. VPN is absolutely necessary here.

 

[RangerBoy]

The Rangers have 4 exclusive ESPN+/Hulu games. Is MSG not allowed to broadcast those games?

 

[RangerBoy]

 

[HonestGabe]

The Rangers have 4 exclusive ESPN+/Hulu games. Is MSG not allowed to broadcast those games?

That's my understanding from what I've seen. Those games would be exclusive to the streaming service.

As an out of market fan, this is great for me as I'll be able to watch every single Rangers game with my ESPN+ package. In the past I've been paying for NHLTv on top of my ESPN+ package

 

[RangerBoy]

That's my understanding from what I've seen. Those games would be exclusive to the streaming service.

As an out of market fan, this is great for me as I'll be able to watch every single Rangers game with my ESPN+ package. In the past I've been paying for NHLTv on top of my ESPN+ package

I already have ESPN+ for the NHL TV package. It's a much better deal than NHL TV. You get the NHL games plus other content for less money. Not everyone has ESPN+. That's the issue. People will be complaining.

 

[HonestGabe]

I already have ESPN+ for the NHL TV package. It's a much better deal than NHL TV. You get the NHL games plus other content for less money. Not everyone has ESPN+. That's the issue. People will be complaining.

Gotcha, that makes sense.

Maybe not all hockey fans, which I can see that argument. For exposure of the game, I don't believe other leagues have ESPN+ out of market extension for all games like this. ESPN+ has a large subscription network and this will get more "Casual" fan eyes on the game.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Whats hard about it?

They don't want people to stream games illegally, so they introduce their own platform, NHL TV (NHL Gamecenter prior to that). Great, one platform for all your games.

Fast-forward 10 years and now it's ESPN+, TNT, Hulu, ABC.

THAT is what makes it hard for people. I'll just go back to illegal streams since they're available in full HD these days anyway.

 

[Tawnos]

They don't want people to stream games illegally, so they introduce their own platform, NHL TV (NHL Gamecenter prior to that). Great, one platform for all your games.

Fast-forward 10 years and now it's ESPN+, TNT, Hulu, ABC.

THAT is what makes it hard for people. I'll just go back to illegal streams since they're available in full HD these days anyway.

Except that NHL TV was never one platform for all your games, at least here in the states. You always needed a way to watch NBCSN and NBC. Not sure how ESPN+ works overseas. Hulu and ESPN+ aren't separate... everything that's being broadcast on ESPN+ will be on Hulu.

The only real change here is that there will be national broadcast games that are exclusive to ESPN+, so those who are in the MSG market or who were using the cable Center Ice package are going to need to sign up for a streaming service in addition to those other avenues.

 

[Tawnos]

Rangers National Broadcast Schedule

[TABLE="class: brtb_item_table"][TBODY][TR][TD]Date[/TD][TD]Time[/TD][TD]Opponent[/TD][TD]Broadcaster[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]10/13[/TD][TD]7:30[/TD][TD]Capitals[/TD][TD]TNT[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]11/26[/TD][TD]3:30 [/TD][TD]Bruins[/TD][TD]ESPN+/Hulu[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]12/13[/TD][TD]9:00[/TD][TD]Avalanche[/TD][TD]ESPN+/Hulu[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]1/19[/TD][TD]7:30[/TD][TD]Maple Leafs[/TD][TD]TNT[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]2/1[/TD][TD]7:00[/TD][TD]Panthers[/TD][TD]ESPN+/Hulu[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]2/24[/TD][TD]7:00[/TD][TD]Capitals[/TD][TD]ESPN[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]2/26[/TD][TD]3:00[/TD][TD]Penguins[/TD][TD]ABC/ESPN+[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]3/2[/TD][TD]7:30[/TD][TD]Blues[/TD][TD]TNT[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]3/19[/TD][TD]8:00[/TD][TD]Lightning[/TD][TD]ABC/ESPN+[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]3/30[/TD][TD]7:30[/TD][TD]Red Wings[/TD][TD]TNT[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]4/7[/TD][TD]7:00[/TD][TD]Penguins[/TD][TD]ESPN+/Hulu[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]4/13[/TD][TD]7:00[/TD][TD]Flyers[/TD][TD]TNT[/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD]4/23[/TD][TD]3:00[/TD][TD]Bruins[/TD][TD]ABC/ESPN+[/TD][/TR][/TBODY][/TABLE]

 

[will1066]

Except that NHL TV was never one platform for all your games, at least here in the states. You always needed a way to watch NBCSN and NBC. Not sure how ESPN+ works overseas. Hulu and ESPN+ aren't separate... everything that's being broadcast on ESPN+ will be on Hulu.

The only real change here is that there will be national broadcast games that are exclusive to ESPN+, so those who are in the MSG market or who were using the cable Center Ice package are going to need to sign up for a streaming service in addition to those other avenues.

So, ESPN+ is a fantastic value for out of towners but the polar opposite for NY metro area people, who basically sign up just to get those exclusive games. Welcome to the de-centralized TV/ streaming era. In a few years, the geniuses will think, hey, what if we put all these streaming services together in one platform? That is, cable/satellite/dish carriers.

 

[Tawnos]

So, ESPN+ is a fantastic value for out of towners but the polar opposite for NY metro area people, who basically sign up just to get those exclusive games. Welcome to the de-centralized TV/ streaming era. In a few years, the geniuses will think, hey, what if we put all these streaming services together in one platform? That is, cable/satellite/dish carriers.

People keep saying that, but I don't see why the content producers would do it when they can get money directly without a middle man. If someone does aggregate, it's going to be more expensive than getting them each individually.

 

[Crease]

Semi-OT but I just signed up for FuboTV’s base package for $65 per month, which includes MSG and ESPN (as well as SNY for the Mets). The interface is great, the service is reliable, and it was less expensive than the cable package I would need to subscribe to through Verizon or Optimum to get the regional sports networks. I would recommend it to anyone with a smart tv and fast internet.

 

[haohmaru]

Semi-OT but I just signed up for FuboTV’s base package for $65 per month, which includes MSG and ESPN (as well as SNY for the Mets). The interface is great, the service is reliable, and it was less expensive than the cable package I would need to subscribe to through Verizon or Optimum to get the regional sports networks. I would recommend it to anyone with a smart tv and fast internet.

Hrm. Are you sure? I have Fubo base ($64.99/mo.) + Sports Plus ($10.99/mo.) (Tennis Channel, NFL, NHL Network, etc...) but no MSG Networks.

 

[Crease]

Hrm. Are you sure? I have Fubo base ($64.99/mo.) + Sports Plus ($10.99/mo.) (Tennis Channel, NFL, NHL Network, etc...) but no MSG Networks.

The FuboTV base for each subscriber differs based on location. Here in Westchester, MSG and SNY are included in my base. To your point, it’s not a solution for out-of-market fans; it’s an internet-based option for local cable cutters.

 

[Levitate]

Whats hard about it?

Honestly it's mostly that the assumption is always that you have cable and a certain level of cable package AND some other kind of service (Center Ice, ESPN+, whatever) in order to watch all of the games if you're out of market. It'd be nice to have one service that covers all of this. I don't want or need a cable subscription much less have to figure out the right level of package I need to get and how much useless crap I need to subscribe to in order to get the one channel I want

 

[17futurecap]

I already have ESPN+ for the NHL TV package. It's a much better deal than NHL TV. You get the NHL games plus other content for less money. Not everyone has ESPN+. That's the issue. People will be complaining.

You mean like my Dad, who called and yelled at me Saturday asking why the Notre Dame game wasn't on NBC, and was on Peacock.

 

[RangerBoy]

You mean like my Dad, who called and yelled at me Saturday asking why the Notre Dame game wasn't on NBC, and was on Peacock.

NBC has moved some of their Premier League football games to Peacock. All of those games were available on NBCSN as part of the cable package. When the EPL went to NBC from the Fox Soccer Channel, they had all of the EPL games available to the cable customers. I forgot what they called the overflow channels. NBC decided to charge for those games and they created NBC Gold. Now, NBC has Peacock. I heard about Notre Dame on Peacock last week. There were people complaining on twitter.

 

[Hire Sather]

Groundbreaking stuff today. ESPN Plus will have exclusive games that won't air locally.

 

[mas0764]

The FuboTV base for each subscriber differs based on location. Here in Westchester, MSG and SNY are included in my base. To your point, it’s not a solution for out-of-market fans; it’s an internet-based option for local cable cutters.

Hmm wonder if that would work with a VPN.

 

[Leetch3]

people will complain but a big reason that ESPN/Disney paid for the tv rights for exclusive streaming rights was to gain subscribers. making hockey fans subscribe to espn+ or the bundle knowing they will then pay every month without canceling is part of their ROI for paying the nhl all that $$

 

[Tawnos]

Groundbreaking stuff today. ESPN Plus will have exclusive games that won't air locally.

That was announced when the deal was announced

 

[Tawnos]

Honestly it's mostly that the assumption is always that you have cable and a certain level of cable package AND some other kind of service (Center Ice, ESPN+, whatever) in order to watch all of the games if you're out of market. It'd be nice to have one service that covers all of this. I don't want or need a cable subscription much less have to figure out the right level of package I need to get and how much useless crap I need to subscribe to in order to get the one channel I want

Well the good news on the new deals is that TNT and ESPN are carried by the base cable packages. All you need is ESPN+ and that.

Local blackouts are an annoyance, but it doesn’t seem to be changing any time soon. Which market are you in?