You’re sitting there with a cold drink, the jersey is on, and the puck drops in ten minutes. Then it hits you. The panic. You flip to the usual spot and see a car auction or a poker rerun. Nothing ruins a Tuesday night faster than scrambling through a digital guide while the Detroit Red Wings are already killing a penalty in the first period.
Honestly, keeping track of what channel are the Red Wings on has become a part-time job. It used to be simple—flip to UPN 50 or FSD and call it a day. Now? We’ve got a tangled web of regional networks, national broadcasts, and streaming exclusives that feel like they require a degree in telecommunications just to navigate.
The short answer is usually FanDuel Sports Network Detroit. But "usually" is a dangerous word in the modern NHL. Depending on whether they’re playing a division rival on a Wednesday or a cross-conference foe on a Sunday afternoon, you might find yourself hunting through ESPN+, Hulu, ABC, or TNT.
The Regional Powerhouse: FanDuel Sports Network Detroit
For the vast majority of the 82-game grind, the answer to what channel are the Red Wings on is FanDuel Sports Network Detroit (formerly Bally Sports Detroit). This is the home of Ken Daniels and Mickey Redmond. If you aren't hearing Mickey talk about "ginger ales" or "the trip-pod," you're probably on the wrong feed.
The branding change from Bally to FanDuel in late 2024 threw a lot of fans for a loop, but the actual channel number on your cable box likely stayed the same. If you’re a traditionalist with Xfinity, DirecTV, or Spectrum, this is where you live. However, the "cord-cutting" era has made this tricky.
Streaming services like YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV famously dropped these regional sports networks (RSNs) years ago during carriage disputes that never seem to end. If you’ve ditched cable, your options for the local broadcast are basically narrowed down to FuboTV or the standalone FanDuel Sports Network app. It’s a bit of a headache, but that’s the price of seeing every save by Alex Lyon in high definition.
When the National Spotlight Hits
Things get wonky when the Wings start winning. The better the team plays, the more likely they are to be "poached" by national broadcasters. When this happens, the local broadcast is blacked out. You can’t watch it on the usual channel. Period.
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TNT and TBS take a chunk of the schedule, particularly for those "Wednesday Night Hockey" slots. These games are exclusive. You won’t find Mickey and Ken there; instead, you’ll get the national crew.
Then there’s ABC and ESPN. Since the NHL returned to the Disney family of networks, the Red Wings have seen a significant uptick in Saturday afternoon appearances on ABC. These are great because they’re over-the-air. You just need a cheap digital antenna and you’re golden. But don't expect it every week.
The "Plus" Problem: ESPN+ and Hulu Exclusives
This is the one that really trips people up. A handful of times a year, the game isn't on "TV" at all in the traditional sense. It’s an "ESPN+/Hulu Exclusive."
You go to your cable guide. You check the sports tier. Nothing.
You check the national channels. Nothing.
In these cases, you have to open the ESPN app or the Hulu app on your smart TV or Roku. These games are produced by ESPN but aren't aired on their linear cable channels. It’s a move to drive subscriptions, and while the broadcast quality is usually high, it’s frustrating for fans who already pay a premium for sports packages.
Blackout Restrictions: The Fan's Arch-Nemesis
If you are a Red Wings fan living in, say, Grand Rapids or Traverse City, you’re in the "home market." This means if the game is on FanDuel Sports Network Detroit, you must watch it there.
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If you bought NHL Power Play on ESPN+ thinking you could watch every game from your home in Royal Oak, you’re going to be met with a frustrating "This content is blacked out in your area" screen.
Blackouts are designed to protect the local cable providers. It’s an old-school tactic in a new-school world. However, if you live in California or Florida, ESPN+ is actually your best friend. Out-of-market fans can see almost every single Red Wings game (except the national ones) through that single subscription. It’s the one time being a displaced Detroiter actually pays off.
Breaking Down the Typical Schedule
No two weeks look the same. You might have a stretch of five games all on the same regional channel, followed by a chaotic week where you’re jumping between three different apps.
- Monday through Friday: Usually FanDuel Sports Network Detroit.
- Wednesday Nights: High chance of TNT or ESPN.
- Saturday Afternoons: Look toward ABC.
- Late Night West Coast Trips: Almost always the regional Detroit feed, but prepare for those 10:00 PM starts that ruin your sleep schedule.
One thing to keep an eye on is the "alternate" channel. Sometimes, if there’s a conflict with a Detroit Pistons game or a Tigers game (in early April), the Red Wings might be pushed to FanDuel Sports Network Detroit Plus. It’s usually just one or two slots up or down on your channel list.
Finding the Audio Feed
Sometimes you’re stuck in the car. Maybe you’re working late and can’t have a screen open. The Red Wings Radio Network is legendary. 97.1 The Ticket remains the flagship station in the Detroit area.
Ken Kal and Paul Woods have a chemistry that rival the TV side. If you aren't in range of the Detroit signal, the Wings have a massive affiliate network across Michigan, from iron Mountain down to Adrian. You can also stream the radio call for free via the NHL app or the Audacy app. There is something uniquely "Michigan" about listening to a hockey game on the radio while driving through a snowstorm.
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The Future of Red Wings Broadcasts
The landscape is shifting. The bankruptcy of Diamond Sports Group (the parent company of the regional networks) has created a lot of uncertainty. While FanDuel stepped in as a naming partner, the long-term future of how we consume local sports is leaning toward direct-to-consumer streaming.
We’re likely heading toward a world where you just pay a flat monthly fee directly to the team or a consolidated streaming platform to get every game, no cable box required. But for the 2025-2026 season, we’re still in this hybrid "half-cable, half-app" reality.
Practical Steps to Never Miss a Goal
Checking the schedule once at the start of the season isn't enough because networks love to flex games into different time slots.
First, download the Detroit Red Wings official app. It’s the most reliable way to see the broadcast tag for each specific game. They update it in real-time.
Second, if you’re a cord-cutter, verify your zip code on the FanDuel Sports Network website. Just because you’re in Michigan doesn’t always mean your specific provider carries the "Plus" channel or the main feed.
Third, keep your ESPN login handy. Even if you don't use it daily, those three or four "exclusive" games a year will sneak up on you, and trying to reset your password two minutes before puck drop is a recipe for a bad mood.
Lastly, bookmark the NHL.com scores page. It lists the TV networks for every game right under the matchup. If you see "BSDT," that’s your local regional feed. If you see "TNT" or "ESPN," grab the big remote.
The hunt for the right channel is a bit of a chore, but once the "LGRW" chants start echoing through Little Caesars Arena and the broadcast goes live, the effort usually feels worth it. Turn it up, look for the octopus, and hope the power play actually clicks tonight.
Red Wings Broadcast Checklist
- Check FanDuel Sports Network Detroit first for nearly 70% of the schedule.
- Scan the ABC/ESPN/TNT schedules for those high-profile rivalry games.
- Verify your ESPN+ subscription is active for those handful of digital-only "Hulu" exclusives.
- Use an antenna as a backup for the big Saturday games on ABC.
- Sync your radio to 97.1 FM if the TV blackout rules get too confusing.