The NHL is finding itself in a more favorable situation entering the 2025-26 season as its broadcast partners lose other live sports properties.
According to a report by Alex Silverman in Sports Business Journal, the NHL’s national media partners at TNT Sports and ESPN will broadcast an additional 16 national windows compared to last season. TNT will account for 13 such broadcasts, with ESPN adding three. All told, TNT will air 72 NHL games (up from 59 last season), while ESPN’s networks will air 53 games (up from 50 last season).
Of course, the primary reason for the increase in national telecasts is the live sports that both TNT and ESPN won’t be airing. TNT Sports is entering its first year without an NBA package in nearly four decades, creating programming gaps that hockey can easily fill. Jon Lewis of Sports Media Watch reports that TNT will air NHL games on 14 Tuesday nights this upcoming season, after that night was traditionally reserved for NBA games. The network will even add a Thursday night NHL game on October 30. Wednesday, however, remains the primary night for NHL coverage on TNT.
With the NBA off TNT Sports, the network has more room for the NHL. Most games this season will now air on Tuesdays & Wednesdays:
Monday: 2 games
Tuesday: 25 games
Wednesday: 35 games
Thursday: 1 game
Friday: 2 games
Sunday: 7 games*Tripleheader on Tuesday, Dec. 23*
— Braylon Breeze (@Braylon_Breeze) August 27, 2025
ESPN is also modifying its NHL schedule to fill the scheduling gaps created by exiting its Sunday Night Baseball deal with MLB. The network has scheduled an NHL doubleheader on Sunday, April 5, a night that would have traditionally been reserved for baseball. However, as NHL reporter Braylon Breeze notes, the network will still largely neglect the league in November and December, scheduling just one national game.
As usual with this TV deal, ESPN’s NHL schedule is extremely front and back-loaded — with *zero* games on ESPN’s linear networks in November and just one in December.
ESPN/ABC Games by Month:⁰Oct: 10⁰Nov: 0⁰Dec: 1⁰Jan: 8⁰Feb: 6⁰Mar: 14⁰Apr: 14
— Braylon Breeze (@Braylon_Breeze) August 27, 2025
Considering that regular-season NHL ratings took quite a hit last season, any additional national windows have to be seen as a win for the league, even if these are decisions being made because of circumstances that are largely outside of their control.
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.