Amazon Prime will join the NHL in the 2024-25 season, acquiring some of the rights. The company will broadcast “Prime Monday Night Hockey” weekly starting in October. The Seattle-based company currently broadcasts “Thursday Night Football” and will add hockey to its roster after signing a two-year deal earlier this season.
The first broadcast will be an exclusive on Oct. 14 as the Montreal Canadiens host the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Boston Bruins will not have a game on primetime this season, but on Dec. 16 the Florida Panthers will take on the Edmonton Oilers in a Stanley Cup Final rematch.
It's no surprise that the Penguins will be appearing on the premiere with star player Sidney Crosby, but former Bruins defenseman Matt Grzelik, who signed as a free agent in Pittsburgh last week to play for coach Mike Sullivan, will also be making an appearance.
The Toronto Maple Leafs will appear on Amazon five times next season with star player Auston Matthews, while former Bruins Jake DeBrusk, Danton Heinen and Derek Forbort, who signed with the Vancouver Knicks as free agents on July 1, will appear on Amazon four times.
It will be interesting to see how fans react to Amazon Prime's coverage going forward, but we hope to see the Bruins added to the schedule in the future. Looking at sports broadcasting trends, streaming services are just the beginning for sports, with the NFL leading the way. Other sports are following suit, with the MLS season package now available on AppleTV+. Meanwhile, ESPN+ offers exclusive coverage of select NHL games, which fans are more upset about than watching on the team's network.
