Premier Sports renews NHL broadcast rights through 2028–29 season

Premier Sports announced it is continuing its National Hockey League (NHL) broadcast partnership through the 2028–2029 season, extending the agreement for NHL coverage that it said Premier Sports has provided since 2011. The broadcaster said the renewal will bring subscribers 15 live NHL games each week throughout the regular season as well as the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The NHL is described in the announcement as the league’s “world’s best hockey” property, with the parties framing the renewal as a long-term extension of Premier Sports’ ongoing hockey programming.

As part of the renewed rights package, Premier Sports said it will feature exclusive live games throughout the season. The announcement specifies that the new NHL season will begin with defending Stanley Cup champions Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Florida Panthers. It also listed early marquee matchups featuring Canadian rivals Montreal and Toronto Maple Leafs as part of the opening slate of fixtures.

Premier Sports’ CEO, Richard Sweeney, attributed the decision to extend the agreement to the broadcaster’s long-standing role in carrying NHL games to viewers. In the statement, Sweeney said, “We’re delighted to extend our rights agreement with the NHL,” and added that the renewal allows Premier Sports to continue bringing “unmissable live action” to its viewers while “add[ing] even more value for our long-term, loyal customers.” The announcement positions the renewal as both a continuation of existing NHL coverage and an expansion of the channel value proposition heading into the 2028–2029 season.

The rights renewal was issued as part of broader Premier Sports schedule communications. Premier Sports said the NHL season will add to its existing hockey offering, with live Motorpoint Elite League action continuing through the autumn, alongside its expanded NHL slate. Premier Sports also reiterated in the announcement that its NHL and other sports rights are distributed across multiple platforms and partner networks in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland.

Premier Sports said its NHL coverage is available on the Sky platform on channels 419 and 420, and on Virgin on channels 551 and 552. The broadcaster also listed access via STV Player and as an add-on subscription on Amazon Prime. It further stated that Premier Sports streams online through dedicated apps on devices including iOS and Android phones and tablets, Samsung, PC and Mac, Fire TV, and Chromecast, as well as LG Smart TVs and Android TV–enabled devices.

In addition, Premier Sports said its service is available in the UK via a commercial subscription for “thousands of Pubs, Clubs & Hotels.” The announcement also outlined Premier Sports’ portfolio beyond the NHL, stating that the broadcaster currently operates two sports channels in the UK and Republic of Ireland with rights to events including LALIGA, the Scottish Premiership, the Scottish Cup, the Scottish League Cup, and other rugby and motorsport properties, with NHL and NASCAR noted as available in both markets.

For viewers in the Republic of Ireland, Premier Sports said it holds exclusive rights to a Saturday 3pm Premier League fixture and to UEFA Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League competitions. The broadcaster also described international operations in Asia and a recent launch in Canada, where it said it has exclusive rights to the Guinness Six Nations plus Super Rugby Pacific and the Rugby Championship, while also citing rugby coverage across multiple Asian countries in its wider business summary.

With the announcement, the NHL partnership renewal becomes a confirmed 2028–29 through 2028–29 rights extension by Premier Sports, paired with an early-season fixture preview that includes Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Florida Panthers. The agreement’s key terms, as stated in the broadcaster’s communication, center on exclusive live NHL coverage delivered through 15 live games each week during the regular season and the Stanley Cup Playoffs across the listed UK and Republic of Ireland distribution platforms.

Written by Vancouver Television Sports Desk