It has been a busy few days for the organization, but not from a roster management standpoint. With FanDuel Sports Network's parent company going bankrupt, the Carolina Hurricanes were without a platform to stream their games within their market. The creation of the Hurricanes Hockey Network gives the team complete control over the content it puts out, and they've found a streaming partner.
The team announced on Wednesday morning that Amazon will carry their in-market broadcasts for the season. The Canes' regional territory encompasses most of North Carolina and South Carolina. For those without cable or a satellite, Prime Video will be the go-to for all games streaming on the Hurricanes Hockey Network.
The tumultuous broadcasting ride for many NHL markets should see a little more stability, especially those that have established their own networks with FanDuel's collapse. The Canes, through Hurricanes Holdings, LCC, will maintain control of their product, headed by the team's Vice President of Communications, Mike Sundheim.
The official announcement made a few further clarifications. To purchase the add-on, it'll set you back $19.99 per month, or $99.99 for the entire season. A Prime subscription is not required to purchase the add-on, just a free Amazon account. The team did not give any details about how those with cable or satellite can watch, but they will be announced before the season starts.
In late July, the team confirmed that the broadcast duo of Mike Maniscalco and Tripp Tracy will return to the booth this season. On Tuesday, with the reveal of the Hurricanes Hockey Network, they also added the returns of Hanna Yates as a broadcast and digital host and former player Shane Willis as an analyst, keeping the quartet intact.
The Hurricanes are one of six teams to reach an agreement with Amazon for the streaming rights to their games. Anaheim, Columbus, Dallas, Minnesota, and St. Louis, all of whom were in the same boat as the Canes with FDSN, released separate announcements on Wednesday as well. The deals with Amazon are multi-year agreements, though the exact length wasn't specified.
With the Hurricanes' season opener on September 28 exclusive to ESPN, the first broadcast on the Hurricanes Hockey Network is expected to be on October 2 against the Washington Capitals. Like most new things, there will likely be a growing period, and the price tag is likely to give fans something to discuss, but I'm interested to see how this works. It can't be worse than FanDuel, can it?
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