NHL Secures Landmark Free-to-Air Deal with ITV in teh UK
The National Hockey League has significantly expanded its reach in the United Kingdom with a new agreement to broadcast games free-to-air on ITV, marking the league’s first such deal in the country.
The partnership with ITV, announced today, will see one NHL match per week showcased on ITV 4 and the ITVX streaming service for the remainder of the 2025-26 regular season, concluding on April 16. The deal officially commenced with the January 17 contest between the Minnesota Wild and the Buffalo Sabres, a thrilling 5-4 overtime victory for the Wild.
This move represents a strategic effort by the NHL to broaden its footprint in the UK market, complementing existing coverage provided by pay-TV provider Premier Sports, which secured multi-year rights for all NHL games in 2024, though it broadcasts only a selection.DAZN also plays a key role,serving as the global carrier of NHL.TV, the league’s international direct-to-consumer streaming service since July 2025. A notable advancement for viewers is that games shown on Premier Sports are no longer blacked out on NHL.TV, a change implemented after 2024.
The NHL’s expansion into the UK is driven by a desire to tap into a growing international fanbase and increase the league’s global profile. While the UK currently lacks native players actively in the NHL, Welsh-born Nathan Walker, a center for the St. Louis Blues, represents a connection, though he was raised in Australia and plays internationally for its national team. The league hopes increased visibility will inspire future British players.
Spearheading this European push is joris de Boer, formerly a FIFA executive, who joined the NHL in August 2025 as head of European broadcast rights sales. De Boer operates from the NHL’s newly established European office in zurich, Switzerland, which opened in November. Across the continent, the NHL has established partnerships with various broadcasters, including Viaplay in the Nordic and Baltic countries, Nova Sport in Czechia, and MySports in Switzerland.
Looking ahead, the NHL is optimistic that the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games, which will feature NHL players in ice hockey for the first time since 2014, will further stimulate interest in the sport throughout Europe. The league views the Olympics as a key opportunity to showcase its product to a wider audience and build momentum for long-term growth. The deal with ITV is expected to run through the end of the 2025-26 regular season, concluding on April 16, 2026, and its success will likely influence future broadcast strategies in europe.
