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| NHL on ESPN | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Also known as | ESPN Hockey Night ESPN+ Hockey Night ESPN National Hockey Night (1992–2004) |
| Genre | NHL hockey telecasts |
| Starring | Sean McDonough Ray Ferraro Emily Kaplan Bob Wischusen Ryan Callahan Leah Hextall Mike Monaco A. J. Mleczko Blake Bolden Dave Jackson Steve Levy Mark Messier P. K. Subban John Buccigross Kevin Weekes Roxy Bernstein Cassie Campbell-Pascall Arda Ocal |
| Theme music composer | Bob Christianson[1] |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 18 |
| Production | |
| Production locations | Various NHL arenas (game telecasts and some pregame, intermission segments, and occasional postgame) ESPN's Bristol, CT studios (pregame, intermission segments, and occasional postgame) |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 180 minutes or until the end of the game |
| Production company | ESPN |
| Original release | |
| Network | ESPN (1979–1982, 1985–1988, 1992–2004, 2021–present) ABC (1993–1994, 2000–2004, 2021–present) ESPN2 (1993–2004, 2022–present) ESPN+ (2018–present) Hulu (2021–present) ESPNU (2022–present) (overflow) ESPNEWS (2022–present) (overflow) |
| Release | December 19, 1979 – April 11, 1982 |
| Release | October 10, 1985 – May 26, 1988 |
| Release | October 6, 1992 – May 27, 2004 |
| Release | October 12, 2021 – present |
| Related | |
| NHL on ABC The Point In the Crease NHL on TNT (concurrent American rights holders from 2021 to 2028) TSN Hockey (in Canada, partly owned) NHL on Sportsnet/Hockey Night in Canada (concurrent Canadian rights holders from 2021 to 2026) | |
| Infobox instructions (only shown in preview) | |
The broadcasts of National Hockey League (NHL) games produced by ESPN have been shown on its various platforms in the United States, including ESPN itself, ABC, ESPN+, ESPN2, ESPNEWS, ESPNU, and Hulu. Since 2021, games have been broadcast under the ESPN Hockey Night branding, while those on ESPN+ have used the ESPN+ Hockey Night branding.
ESPN first televised NHL games in the 1979–80 season, initially by sub-contracting rights from individual franchises. After the NHL shifted to only having one exclusive rightsholder, ESPN acquired the NHL's national television rights in 1985 to replace USA Network (which had previously aired NHL games in parallel with ESPN). ESPN lost the rights to SportsChannel America in 1988.
ESPN regained the NHL's U.S. television rights from 1992 through the 1999–2000 season, with the coverage branded under the blanket title ESPN National Hockey Night. ESPN also sub-licensed a package of network television broadcasts to ABC (sister via ESPN parent The Walt Disney Company) under the NHL on ABC branding until 1994, when the NHL sold a broadcast television package to Fox Sports. In 1999, ESPN renewed its contract through the 2004–05 NHL season, with ABC returning as broadcast television rightsholder to replace Fox.
The 2004–05 season was canceled due to a lockout of the NHL Players Association. ESPN had reached a two-year agreement to serve as cable rightsholder in a reduced capacity beginning in the 2005–06 season (with a smaller package of regular season games and playoff coverage primarily on ESPN2, and the first two games of the Stanley Cup Finals), alongside new broadcast rightsholder NBC. After the lockout, ESPN opted out of the contract. They were instead acquired by Comcast, with telecasts moving to Versus (later renamed NBCSN); it held the cable rights (which were later unified with NBC's broadcast television rights after Comcast's purchase of NBC Universal) through the 2020–21 season.[2]
On March 10, 2021, the NHL announced that it would return to ESPN networks under a seven-year contract beginning in the 2021–22 season. ESPN's subscription streaming service ESPN+ provides the majority of the network's regular season NHL coverage, carrying a package of exclusive national games, and holding streaming rights to all out-of-market games (replacing the NHL.tv service). ESPN also broadcasts a package of games. ESPN and ESPN2 share coverage of the Stanley Cup playoffs with TNT and TBS — which also includes exclusive rights to the Stanley Cup Finals for ABC in even-numbered years.
Like other U.S. national NHL broadcasts, NHL on ESPN games may be available in Canada on Sportsnet or streamed on Sportsnet+ as part of a 12-year agreement with the NHL that lasts to the end of the 2025–26 season, subject to blackout restrictions.
- ^ Gentille, Sean. "The NHL on ESPN theme song is back: Meet the genius who wrote it". The Athletic. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
- ^ Schuster, Blake (July 22, 2021). "NHL Schedule 2021-22: Opening Day, All-Star Weekend and Key Dates Released". Bleacher Report.