- New rights agreement includes 60 2021-22 regular season games, special events, Isobel Cup Playoffs
- Top women’s professional hockey league in North America begins season Saturday 11/6
- Available to stream in the U.S. exclusively on ESPN+ and ESPN+ on Hulu
The Premier Hockey Federation, the top women’s professional hockey league in North America, will stream 60 2021-22 regular season games, special events and its Isobel Cup Playoffs exclusively on ESPN+ in the U.S. The PHF season begins Saturday 11/6 with all six PHF teams in action, including a rematch of last year’s Isobel Cup Final between the Minnesota Whitecaps and the 2021 PHF champion Boston Pride.
The PHF’s 60-game regular season will be played over 19 weekends with an evenly balanced schedule in which each team plays four games against the other five league opponents, with 10 home and 10 away contests. The schedule also includes a special outdoor event with the Buffalo Beauts hosting the Toronto Six at the Buffalo RiverWorks entertainment complex on Monday 2/21.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for the PHF and most importantly for our athletes who deserve the exposure that a major network can provide,” said PHF Commissioner Tyler Tumminia. “Partnering with ESPN+ is a significant step in our history as we continue to grow the sport with a platform that will introduce our new era to a larger audience with an enhanced standard for how our games will be delivered.”
“The Premier Hockey Federation is an exciting, up-and-coming league that we look forward to presenting to hockey fans in the U.S. exclusively on ESPN+,” said John Lasker, Vice President, Digital Media Programming, ESPN. “As the top professional women’s hockey league in North America, the PHF makes a great addition to our growing lineup of hockey on ESPN+, which now includes NCAA men’s and women’s hockey, the Kontinental Hockey League from Europe and Asia, and more than 1,000 NHL games this season.”
About Premier Hockey Federation
The PHF is the leading home of professional women’s hockey in North America. Established in 2015 as the National Women’s Hockey League, the NWHL rebranded to become the PHF in 2021 and maintains the mission to provide strong role models and fuel the continued growth of the sport. The league is made up of the Boston Pride, Buffalo Beauts, Connecticut Whale, Metropolitan Riveters, Minnesota Whitecaps, and the Toronto Six who all compete annually for the Isobel Cup.
About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 14.9 million subscribers.
Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $6.99 a month (or $69.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for $13.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $19.99/month (Hulu w/o ads).
