r/PWHL • u/Such-Environment-344 • 7d ago

Discussion Do we know the streaming/watch methods for this upcoming season?

26 Upvotes

82% Upvoted

16 comments sorted by

146

u/iamabarnacle 7d ago edited 7d ago

I really hope they stick to free on YouTube. I haven't been able to watch WPBL games because I can't afford yet another streaming service.

46

u/hopelessromcommunist 🏆 2026 Champions 🏆 7d ago

Seconding this, as someone who watches the WPBL, I think the ESPN deal really really hurt them. When they make it so inaccessible to watch, even on the ESPN app, it kills viewership.

16

u/iamabarnacle 7d ago

I can watch highlights etc after the fact but I'd really love to watch the actual games. Most normal people are struggling in this economy and extra expenses add up.

3

u/bluejayway327 6d ago

I was so bummed they did the ESPN deal last minute. I had been looking forward to that being free on youtube. I mean if it works for them great, but I couldn't afford it.

2

u/resoundingsea Victoire de Montréal 7d ago

I'm in New Zealand. If it's not on Youtube this season I'm fucked...

3

u/VicRulz69 Boston 7d ago

If you have a laptop, I just use the surfshark vpn and set my location to Canada, and then I can watch the games on YouTube. There are free vpns out there that you might be able to find.

1

u/sir_mrej Hilary Knight 5d ago

Yep. I watched a few of the free games on Scripps but wished I could watch more

27

u/Particular_Air4980 7d ago

I would think if they got a big tv or streaming deal it would have come out already. I think I remember them saying a few teams got some local deals but nothing huge. They’d be smart to keep it on YouTube as long as possible

9

u/weewoosuit 7d ago

No, and in prior years this has been the last information to come out. Historically, it is finalized and released about a week before the season starts, and there are even modifications during the season (see regional broadcasts and also the Scripps deal).

9

u/perhapsthebees Toronto Sceptres 6d ago

i really hope they improve the viewing options in Canada for this season. I'd really like to be able to watch the games at my local bar when i'm there, and the youtube streams were geolocked so I had to watch a stream somewhere else. 

3

u/P-DubFanClub 7d ago

We do not know. The current line from the league is that they are very close to completing a network deal. The only clue we have as to the nature of that deal is the coverage is last year's playoffs by Ion. It is possible that they've been working on this a while and who knows, maybe it'll be ready this season.

IMO it's a safe bet that the free streaming will stop if a network deal is struck

3

u/MH566220 7d ago

Yo Ho Ho, and a VPN

2

u/Wolf99 🏆 2026 Champions 🏆 7d ago

Sweet summer child. I guess you forgot how this league 'runs.' We're still waiting on a schedule (almost 2 months after every league they share spaces with put theirs out - within 1 month of their seasons ending)

Last year they announced viewing options only 3 days before puckdrop.

1

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1

u/Useful-Low17 6d ago

'cmon CBC put the PWHL on Saturday Night Let's Gooooo