Disney+ Signs 5 Year NHL Deal For Sweden & Finland
Disney has announced that it has signed a new five-year agreement with the National Hockey League (NHL) to bring live hockey games to Disney+ in Sweden and Finland, kicking off with the 2026/27 season.
The NHL games included in the new agreement will stream live on ESPN on Disney+, the dedicated ESPN offering that gives sports fans access to live sports, studio shows, original programming and more, with select games also available on Star Channel in Finland.
Coverage will include select ESPN-produced games, delivering high-quality live broadcasts, expert analysis, and local-language expertise on select matchups throughout the NHL season for passionate fans and new audiences discovering hockey. Recently, ESPN delivered its most-watched NHL season in the U.S. in 2025/26, surpassing every season since the rights returned to ESPN in 2021/22, highlighting the sport’s rapidly growing popularity.
Disney+ customers will have access to live and exclusive coverage of 160 regular-season games, which include 50 guaranteed games in Nordic primetime, as well as 20 playoff games from the first and second rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The agreement also includes shared rights to the Conference Final and the iconic Stanley Cup Final, highlighting some of hockey’s biggest moments.
The NHL lineup features the biggest stars in the sport and the iconic “Original Six” franchises including the Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, New York Rangers, Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs and more. With hockey’s deep roots in both Sweden and Finland, Disney+ will bring fans closer to the action featuring many of the standout players across the league, such as Swedish players William Nylander (Toronto Maple Leafs), Filip Forsberg (Nashville Predators) and Rasmus Dahlin (Buffalo Sabres), as well as Finnish players Aleksander Barkov (Florida Panthers), Mikko Rantanen (Dallas Stars) and Sebastian Aho (Carolina Hurricanes).
Karl Holmes, General Manager, Disney+ EMEA, said in a statement regarding the deal:
“In Sweden and Finland, hockey isn’t just watched, it’s a passion shared across generations. From overtime winners to the race for the Stanley Cup, there’s nothing quite like the NHL. With so many Swedish and Finnish stars, we’re excited to bring the NHL to customers, adding another brilliant competition to our growing lineup of live sport.”
David Proper, Chief Media Officer & Senior Executive Vice President, NHL added:
“The NHL’s connection to fans across the Nordic region and internationally has never been stronger, driven by the success of both Nordic-born players in the NHL and our tremendous on-ice product overall. Disney+ and ESPN are important in expanding our global reach and serving our international fans, providing broad access and unique perspective to NHL games and showcasing the incredible impact Nordic players continue to have on the sport.”
Diego Londono, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Networks & Sports, The Walt Disney Company EMEA also said:
“ESPN’s relationship with the NHL has been shaped by decades of expert insight, analysis and storytelling, and we’re proud to bring that experience to customers in Sweden and Finland for the first time on Disney+. With ESPN alongside each game, fans can follow every twist of the NHL season through world-class production, expert analysis and local language commentary. It’s another exciting addition as we continue to build ESPN on Disney+, bringing customers more of the world’s biggest sports”
This is the latest expansion of live sports on Disney+ in Europe, following similar deals with UEFA, NFL and LALIGA.
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