Disney+ and NHL Secure Five-Year Streaming Partnership for Sweden and Finland

Disney+ and the National Hockey League have announced a five-year broadcasting agreement, bringing professional ice hockey to subscribers in Sweden and Finland beginning with the 2026/27 season.

Delivered through the dedicated ESPN on Disney+ offering, the arrangement encompasses 160 regular-season fixtures, including 50 matches scheduled in prime Nordic viewing windows, alongside 20 postseason playoff fixtures and shared rights to the Conference Finals and the iconic Stanley Cup Final. 

Commenting on the cultural and commercial significance of securing the broadcast rights, GM of Disney+ EMEA, Karl Holmes, said: “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,” Holmes said.

Echoing these sentiments, chief media officer and SEVP of the NHL, David Proper, noted that international expansion remains central to the league’s global growth trajectory.

“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,” Proper added.

Highlighting the value of integrating expert storytelling and local-language commentary into the broadcast package, SVP and GM of networks and sports at The Walt Disney Company EMEA, Diego Londono, noted: “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,” Londono affirmed.

The broadcast pact aligns with a period of surging commercial momentum for the league, following a record-breaking U.S. viewership season for ESPN in 2025/26.

By broadcasting matches featuring prominent Nordic athletes such as William Nylander, Filip Forsberg, Rasmus Dahlin, Aleksander Barkov, Mikko Rantanen, and Sebastian Aho, the collaboration provides a powerful platform to deepen subscriber engagement and brand loyalty across lucrative Scandinavian markets.

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