NHL Network is not offered on YouTube TV. It is not included in the base plan, not included in Sports Plus add-on, or offered as a stand-a-lone channel. That has been the case as of September 2026. Fortunately, this is less significant than it might seem. NHL Network is essentially a 24-hour studio channel that features a relatively small number of exclusive NHL games. Over 90% of the nationally televised NHL games in the U. S. are broadcast on ESPN, ABC, and TNT, all of which are available on YouTube TV.
The Short Answer:
Checked September 2026.
| Answer | |
|---|---|
| Is NHL Network on YouTube TV? | No |
| In the base plan? | No |
| In the Sports Plus add-on? | No |
| As a standalone channel? | No |
| Where you can get it | DIRECTV, Fubo and Sling TV |
| Also not available on | Hulu with Live TV |
| Does that stop you watching hockey? | No. Most national NHL games are not on NHL Network |
| What YouTube TV does carry | ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, TBS and truTV, which is where most national coverage lives |
| Country | YouTube TV is available in the United States only |
| Checked | September 2026. Carriage agreements change, so verify before subscribing |
Where You Can Actually Get NHL Network:
If you specifically want the channel, three streaming services carry it.
NHL Network availability across the main live TV services, as of September 2026.
| Service | Carries NHL Network | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| DIRECTV | Yes | Available on higher-tier plans, alongside ESPN, TNT and a deep regional sports network lineup |
| Fubo | Yes | Carries NHL Network, though the tier it sits in can vary |
| Sling TV | Yes | Generally the cheapest route to the channel |
| YouTube TV | No | Not in the base plan, not in Sports Plus, not standalone |
| Hulu with Live TV | No | Also does not carry it |
| Cable and satellite | Usually | Widely carried, though often on a higher tier or sports add-on |
| NHL Center Ice | Included | The out-of-market package for cable and satellite subscribers includes NHL Network |
Sling TV generally is the best value. DIRECTV is slightly more expensive but offers the most comprehensive hockey package overall, as its upper packages pair NHL Network with ESPN, TNT, and a sizable regional sports network selection. Fubo falls in the middle. Worth knowing: nothing more here, NHL Network is not available on Hulu with Live TV so it makes no difference to change from YouTube TV.
What YouTube TV Does Give You for Hockey:
This is the part that usually changes people’s minds, because the gap is much smaller than the question implies.
Hockey coverage available on YouTube TV in 2026-27.
| Channel | On YouTube TV | What it carries |
|---|---|---|
| ESPN and ESPN2 | Yes | A large share of the national schedule, plus playoff coverage |
| ABC | Yes | Marquee national games and playoff coverage |
| TNT | Yes | National games, and the Stanley Cup Final in 2026-27 |
| TBS and truTV | Yes | Overflow national games from the TNT Sports package |
| NHL Network | No | The only significant hockey channel missing |
| Regional sports networks | Varies | Depends entirely on your market. Check the local lineup for your postcode before subscribing |
The national coverage in United States for 2026-27 is two of three in ESPN or TNT Sports and NHL Network. YouTube TV has two of those three, and they are the two that show the most games. TNT has the Stanley Cup Final this season as well, the last time under the deal in place today. Meaning the games that mean the most are on the station that owns YouTube TV.
What You Are Genuinely Missing:
So to be fair, there are three things the NHL Network offers you that YouTube TV does not. The first is about the around the clock studio programming. NHL Tonight, NHL Now and the networks analysis runs non stop the season round, and there is a certain kind of fan that is just exclusively that’s all they want.
Next are the network’s very own allotment of exclusive game telecasts, which are a modest, yet integral part of the programming. Number three is coverage extent. The NHL Network covers all teams all of the time and covers them unfailingly, including a bunch of small-market clubs that biggest the national broadcasters neglect entirely. What you are not missing, is the ability to watch most NHL hockey. This is the false assumption that the question is based on.
The Bigger Problem Is Local Games:
No matter what your real question is, that you want to watch your own team on YouTube TV, NHL Network isn’t the problem…Regional coverage is. Local NHL broadcasts are currently amidst a transition fraught with complications. While traditional regional sports networks once were the exclusive provider, more clubs are moving to local broadcast stations and direct-to-consumer streaming services. Six clubs have moved their local streams to Prime Video just this season.
YouTube TV offers a limited set of regional sports networks in certain markets, and not others, and the inclusion really does depend on your postcode. Before signing up for hockey, check the local lineup details for your specific address using YouTube TV, rather than any general guide, including this one.
Your Options If You Want Everything:
There are three reasonable options available, based on your level of concern for the studio channel. Stick with YouTube TV. Live with the time difference. ESPN ABC TNT, TBS and truTV are all here, so you’ll get the national games and the Stanley Cup Final. It is the correct answers for most.
Switch to DIRECTV, Fubo or Sling TV. All three have NHL Network. For the serious hockey fan, the most complete options are the higher packages of DIRECTV, and the cheap option is Sling. Add NHL Center Ice as a standalone purchase through the cable or satellite provider. The out-of-market package offers about 40 games per week, and also includes NHL Network, though it doesn’t come through a streaming service, but instead a traditional TV subscription.
Will YouTube TV Add NHL Network?
There is no announcement either way, and it is just not worth waiting on. Carriage negotiations are ongoing and channels do get added and dropped so it is possible. Sports is a huge reason You Tube TV added NFL Network in 2023 after not having it for years so these things do happen. But, there has been nothing said publicly about NHL Network, and every want to plan on a hypothetical deal not a plan.
Final Take:
No, the NHL Network is not available on YouTube TV under any of the included packages. Yes, you can still watch nearly all nationally televised games for the NHL, including the Stanley Cup Final on you YouTube TV via ESPN, ABC and TNT. If having 24 hour studio coverage really means something to you, then Sling TV is the cheapest way to get it and DIRECTV is the most comprehensive. If what you really want to do is support your own team, then see what the situation is with your local regional sports network first, as that is the question that truly determines the answer.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Is NHL Network on YouTube TV?
No. YouTube TV does not carry NHL Network in its base plan, in the Sports Plus add-on, or as a standalone channel. This was still the case in September 2026.
What streaming services have NHL Network?
DIRECTV, Fubo and Sling TV. Hulu with Live TV does not carry it either.
Can I still watch NHL games on YouTube TV?
Yes, most of them. YouTube TV carries ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, TNT, TBS and truTV, which between them air the great majority of nationally televised NHL games, including the Stanley Cup Final in 2026-27.
What do I miss without NHL Network?
Around the clock studio programming such as NHL Tonight and NHL Now, the network’s own exclusive game broadcasts, and daily coverage of every team including smaller-market clubs.
Does YouTube TV have my team’s local games?
It depends entirely on your market. Regional sports network carriage varies by location, and several teams have moved local streaming elsewhere. Check YouTube TV’s local lineup for your own address before subscribing.
What is the cheapest way to get NHL Network?
Sling TV is generally the least expensive service carrying it. DIRECTV’s higher tiers offer the most complete hockey lineup overall.
Will YouTube TV add NHL Network?
Nothing has been announced. Carriage deals do change, and YouTube TV added NFL Network in 2023 after years without it, but there is no indication of an NHL Network deal.
Also read about: The 10 Best NHL Goalies of All Time, Ranked
