Seattle Kraken, the NHL ice hockey franchise, has extended its regional television partnership with US media company Tegna, which will continue to provide free-to-air (FTA) coverage of games across the Pacific Northwest.
Tegna’s local FTA stations, King 5 and Kong, will retain rights to show Kraken games in four of the largest markets in the region, including Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Alaska.
Specifically, fans in Seattle will gain free access to all non-nationally televised Kraken games via Kong and Prime Video, while King 5, an affiliate of national network NBC, will simulcast 20 games.
Outside Seattle, games will be broadcast FTA on Tegna stations KGW, the NBC affiliate in Portland, KREM-KSKN, the CBS affiliate in Spokane, and KTVB in Boise.
Tegna said it is also working with additional broadcast companies to expand FTA access to all available television markets in Washington, Oregon, and Alaska.
As part of the extension, King 5, Tegna, and the Kraken will continue to lead advertising and sponsorship sales for all local games.
Brad Ramsey, senior vice president and head of sports rights at Tegna, said: “We have done exactly what we set out to do, giving more fans, in more homes, access to more games than ever before.
“We are more committed than ever to serving local fans with the content they care most about, and our advertising partners with solutions that help them move the needle.”
The extension builds on a deal initially signed before the 2024-25 season, which coincided with the launch of the Kraken Hockey Network, which made games widely accessible on Tegna’s partner stations and Prime Video, the streaming service of e-commerce giant Amazon.
Prime Video’s agreement with Kraken sees the platform stream all non-nationally televised games for Prime members in Washington, Oregon, and Alaska, including pre-season, regular season, and the first round of the playoffs.
According to the team, the agreement tripled viewership compared to the previous distribution models, which saw games aired on Root Sports Northwest, a joint venture between MLB’s Seattle Mariners and AT&T Sports Networks, during the Kraken’s first three seasons.
Jeff Webster, chief commercial officer at the Seattle Kraken, added: “Since we launched the Kraken Hockey Network on Tegna and Prime Video, viewership has increased exponentially.
“This extended partnership with TEGNA ensures fans throughout our territory will continue to enjoy an exceptional broadcast at no cost, furthering our commitment to making Kraken hockey accessible to all.”
