The NHL has officially entered the streaming arena with Amazon Prime Video's launch of Prime Monday Night Hockey—the league's first exclusive national broadcast package with a digital-only service in Canada. The inaugural broadcast kicked off on Monday night, featuring a matchup between the Montreal Canadiens and the Pittsburgh Penguins, where the Penguins secured a 6-3 victory.
A Strategic Move for the Future
Amazon is collaborating with the NHL beyond just game broadcasts. Earlier this month, they premiered FACEOFF: Inside the NHL, a docuseries showcasing some of the league's biggest stars at various stages in their careers.
David Hardisty, an associate professor of Marketing and Behavioural Science at the University of British Columbia, highlighted the value of behind-the-scenes content, saying, "Behind the scenes stuff I think is very smart and popular. There's a lot of people that are hardcore fans and just want more." He sees the NHL's partnership with Amazon as a "play for the future," betting that some initial backlash from fans is worth the investment in attracting a younger audience.
As the NHL shifts its broadcasting strategy, fans need to be prepared for more complexity. To watch all NHL games this season, subscribers will need to access multiple platforms, including Amazon Prime, Sportsnet, TSN, and TVA. Hardisty pointed to the MLS Season Pass deal with Apple TV as a model the NHL might emulate in the future, allowing subscribers to access every MLS game, including playoffs.
Speculation and Future Deals
Amazon's acquisition of Monday night NHL broadcasts has sparked speculation about a potential bid for the Canadian broadcasting rights to all NHL games when they become available after the 2025-26 season. Mark Shopiro, head of Prime Video Canada, refrained from commenting on future deals but acknowledged the growing partnership.
In addition to expanding its presence in hockey, Amazon has already made significant inroads in other sports. As it enters its third season as the streaming home for NFL games on Thursday nights, Prime Video saw Thursday Night Football average 11.86 million viewers last season—a 24 percent increase year-over-year. Starting with the 2025-26 season, Prime Video will also live stream NBA games.
Streaming platforms influencing sports popularity
The popularity of streaming sports is evident, with Formula One enjoying a surge in viewership largely due to Netflix’s Drive to Survive series, which debuted in 2019. This docuseries followed the drivers and key players in F1, leading to a remarkable increase in U.S. viewership. In fact, a Nielsen report noted that 34 percent of respondents became fans of the sport after watching the series.The NHL hopes to replicate this success with FACEOFF.
"I think everybody has seen the effects that *Drive to Survive* had on Formula One racing, Full Swing has done a lot for golf, and obviously the storytelling that's involved is unique and very different," said NHL executive Steve Mayer when the show was first announced.
Fans like Jordon Johnson are already looking forward to more content. "I definitely think I'll be tuned in to watch it more. It's something to look forward to on Monday," he said, highlighting the excitement surrounding this new era of NHL broadcasting.
