According to these statistics from Reviewlution, 12 percent of Canadians identify as hardcore hockey fans who follow all hockey-related events. Testifying to the popularity of the sport in Canada, seven National Hockey League teams call the country home.
That number may not sound that impressive; after all, the US has 25 teams competing. But take a minute to compare the population sizes of the two (38 million versus 332 million). There are also more Canadian players than any other nationality, with a 42.7 percent majority.
So, it’s clear hockey has a hard-line fanbase here, which raises an important question: where can you stream the sport during the 2022-2023 season?
Sportsnet NOW Premium
For those located in Canada, Sportsnet NOW Premium is likely to be your best option. You can watch all the season’s most important games by purchasing a subscription, with plans starting from just $14.99.
The website even has a handy NHL game finder feature, which allows you to see which games are included in your subscription. You can also check out upcoming games by scrolling to the bottom of the page and then hovering over these to see which subscription package they’re available on.
ESPN+
For Canadians based in the US, it’s possible to stream games using ESPN+. There’s likely to be a lot of interest from those located in America, too, as this infographic from ExpressVPN demonstrates. It shows that not only is sports streaming on the rise, but hockey is now the fifth most streamed sport in the country.
NHL.TV
For those based outside of Canada and the United States, there are also options available. NHL.TV is the one we’d recommend. It streams to countries around the world, from Afghanistan to China, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
One of the reasons it’s so popular is that hockey is increasingly spreading its reach beyond its traditional fanbases. As well as being widely followed in Canada and the US, it has a growing presence in, for example, the UK. As this article by the Guardian shares, hockey has become the most-watched indoor sport in Britain and also the third-most-popular winter sport.
This trend is only likely to strengthen as hockey becomes better funded at the grassroots level, which is something we’re seeing in several countries currently. That’s why providers like NHL.TV are likely to become increasingly popular among international fans of the sport.
When it comes to hockey, there’s a large and passionate fanbase that’s now spread across the length and breadth of the globe. While the sport’s heartland remains in North America, it’s nonetheless expanding its reach at a rapid rate, with the rest of the world increasingly appreciating its vibrancy, excitement, and incredible skill involved.
This means the demand for streaming services is growing year on year – a trend that providers are all too happy to accommodate. Tell us, where will you be watching the most exciting games of the 2022-2023 season?
