DIRECTV customers are currently unable to view NHL games for the Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, St. Louis Blues and Minnesota Wild due to an ongoing dispute between the TV provider and the channels that carry those teams in-market. But there are some free streaming solutions available, especially for hockey fans who don’t want to miss games this weekend, like Hurricanes vs. Jets and Blue Jackets vs. Rangers on Saturday.
DIRECTV has refused to carry Hurricanes Hockey Network (HHN), Columbus Blue Jackets Hockey Network (CBJHN), Wild+ or Blue Note+ despite being offered the same contract terms as other providers, according to Hurricanes CEO Brian Fork. Fans can turn to live streaming alternatives, such as fuboTV (free trial), to watch those games in-market for the duration of the dispute.
Here are your options to watch blacked out NHL games on in markets where the DIRECTV dispute is ongoing.
Where can I still watch NHL games?
Not every live Internet TV streaming service carries local regional sports networks (RSNs), such as HHN, but fuboTV reliably carries them, and even offers a free trial for customers to enjoy the games while they consider making the switch from DIRECTV to fuboTV. You can sign up and enjoy fuboTV for up to five days cost-free, and watch all in-market Hurricanes, Blue Jackets, Blues or Wild games for the duration of the trial.
Here’s what you need to know.
BEST BET: fuboTV (free trial)
fuboTV is a live TV streaming service that offers more than 220 sports, news and entertainment channels, and is one of the top cord-cutting alternatives to a standard cable TV subscription. fuboTV offers:
Up to 5 days completely free$25 off your first month of serviceUnlimited DVRComplimentary ESPN Unlimited access
fuboTV ($89.99/month) also lets you try its upgraded Elite and Sports Plus packages for free, and can also be upgraded with 4K, channel add-ons and more features for a customizable streaming experience, and complete cable TV replacement.
Fubo
Free Trial
Stream your favorite shows and sports free for up to 5 days, and enjoy up to $30 off your first month.
Free TrialLonger trial: Prime Video
Fans can also get these games via Prime Video thanks to an exclusive partnership between these channels and the Amazon-owned streaming service. Prime Video is included with Amazon Prime ($14.99/month), which offers a 30-day free trial for new subscribers. However, Prime Video is not a complete cable replacement, like fuboTV, so it does not include other regional sports networks or popular sports channels like ESPN or FOX Sports. This applies to in-market viewers only. Out-of-market viewers cannot access these games, even if they do have a Prime Video subscription.
Can I watch the games on ESPN Unlimited?
Not if you live in-market. ESPN Unlimited carries all locally-airing NHL games for fans who live outside the market of the teams playing, but those games will be blacked out if you live in the team’s broadcast market.
Do other cable providers have these games?
Yes. Spectrum carries these channels and games in all markets, as do local, independent carriers like Comporium in the Carolina market and Midco in St. Louis.
What about StreamEast?
StreamEast was free for streaming sports, but it was inconsistent and illegal, and it was shut down by the federal government at the start of the previous NFL Season. Replacements like CrackStreams 2.0 and MethStreams have sprung up in its place, but they are similarly unreliable, risky, illegal and prone to takedowns. fuboTV is a reliable StreamEast alternative where you can watch NHL— or any live sports — for free.
Which games are on fuboTV this weekend?
Here’s the schedule of impacted games that you can watch on fuboTV, instead of DIRECTV, this weekend:
Saturday, October 17:
Carolina Hurricanes @ Winnipeg Jets, 3:30 p.m. ET on HHNNew York Rangers @ Columbus Blue Jackets, 7 p.m. ET on CBJHN, MSGSt. Louis Blues @ Nashville Predators, 8 p.m. ET on SCRIPPS, BN+
Sunday, October 18:
Columbus Blue Jackets @ Minnesota Wild, 6 p.m. ET on Wild+, CBJHN
Remember, a subscription to fuboTV also gets you all those games out-of-market by way of a complimentary ESPN Unlimited activation with your service.
When will DIRECTV get those channels back?
There’s no way of knowing for certain. Disputes like this happen on an almost yearly basis, at this point. Some other high profile disputes in recent years have included fuboTV’s dispute with NBC last fall and YouTube TV’s dispute with ESPN/Disney earlier in 2024. Sometimes they drag on for months, but often times they resolve ahead of major games or seasons.
In a statement, Hurricanes CEO Fork said, “We hope that DIRECTV will ultimately choose to provide access for hockey fans as they have in the past. But we are very happy with the response to our network on Spectrum and Fubo, and with the Prime Video partnership.”
Customers can contact DIRECTV customer service by calling (800) 531-5000 (available daily from 8:00 a.m. to midnight ET). Press “0” or say “agent” or “cancel” to get connected to a live representative. Live Chat is also available: visit the DIRECTV Support Page and select the message icon in the bottom-right corner to chat with an online agent.