Look, being a hockey fan in the Pacific Northwest used to be pretty simple. You either went to the arena or you didn't see the game. But ever since the Seattle Kraken started freezing the ice at Climate Pledge Arena, the broadcasting situation has felt like a massive puzzle. Honestly, if you're trying to figure out how to watch Kraken games, you've probably realized that the old ways of just "turning on the TV" are basically dead. It's a mess of regional sports networks, streaming apps, and national blackouts that can make even a die-hard fan want to throw their remote through the window.
The good news? Things actually got a whole lot better recently.
For a while, we were stuck in the ROOT Sports era. It was expensive. It was clunky. If you didn't have a specific cable package, you were basically out of luck. But the team made a massive pivot. They realized that fans were tired of being locked behind a paywall that required a $100-a-month Comcast bill. Now, the landscape is split between free over-the-air TV, a dedicated streaming service, and the usual national broadcasts on ESPN and TNT. It’s better, but you still need a map to navigate it.
The big shift to KING 5 and KONG
The biggest story in Seattle sports media lately was the Kraken moving away from the traditional Regional Sports Network (RSN) model. They followed the lead of teams like the Vegas Golden Knights and the Phoenix Suns. Basically, they decided that reach matters more than a shrinking check from a dying cable network.
If you live in the Seattle "home market"—which covers most of Washington, Oregon, and Alaska—you can now find a huge chunk of games for free. All you really need is a high-definition antenna. It feels old school, right? But it works. KING 5 and KONG (the independent sister station) are the primary homes now.
You just scan for channels, find 5.1 or 16.1, and you're in. No subscription. No logins. Just hockey.
However, "free" comes with a catch. This only applies to the "local" broadcasts. If the game is a "National Exclusive," meaning the NHL has sold the rights to ESPN or TNT for that night, your antenna is going to give you nothing but static or a local news rerun. You have to keep a close eye on the schedule because the broadcaster changes from Tuesday to Thursday.
Amazon Prime Video is the new home ice
For those who haven't touched a coaxial cable in a decade, the Kraken made a landmark deal with Amazon. This was a massive win for cord-cutters. If you're wondering how to watch Kraken games on your phone or laptop without a cable box, Prime Video is the answer for local fans.
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This isn't just for a few games. It's for all the non-national games.
If you already pay for Prime for the free shipping, you basically get the Kraken included at no extra cost. It’s a huge departure from the days of needing a specialized sports tier on a cable plan. But remember: this is geo-fenced. If you are sitting in a hotel in Chicago trying to watch the Kraken play the Blackhawks, your Seattle-based Prime Video stream will be blacked out. The app knows where you are. It’s annoying, but it’s how the NHL protects the local broadcast rights of the other team.
What about the national games?
This is where it gets pricey and annoying. About 15 to 20 times a year, the Kraken are featured on national television.
- ESPN and ABC: Some games are on the main ESPN channel, while others are "ESPN+/Hulu" exclusives.
- TNT/Max: Turner Sports has a big chunk of the NHL rights. You’ll need a cable sub, a live TV streamer like Sling or Fubo, or a Max subscription with the B/R Sports Add-on.
You can't skip these. If you only have Prime Video and an antenna, you'll miss the biggest matchups of the year. This is the "fragmentation" everyone complains about. To see every single second of the season, you effectively need three different services.
The out-of-market struggle (ESPN+)
If you live in New York, Florida, or anywhere outside the Pacific Northwest, your life is actually much simpler. You just buy ESPN+.
The NHL's "Center Ice" package is essentially dead for streamers, replaced by the ESPN+ subscription. For about $11 a month, you get almost every single out-of-market NHL game. Since you aren't in the Seattle local zone, you won't be blacked out. You get the Kraken feed, the Kraken announcers (John Forslund is a legend, by the way), and no hassle.
The only time an out-of-market fan gets blacked out is when the Kraken play the team in your local city. If you live in Denver and the Kraken are playing the Avalanche, you have to watch the Colorado broadcast on Altitude or whatever network they're using. Or go to the game.
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Watching the Kraken without cable: A breakdown of costs
Let's talk money because that's usually why people are searching for this. You want to see the puck hit the net without your bank account taking a hit.
If you want the "Budget Fan" setup, you go with an Over-the-Air (OTA) antenna. You pay $30 once for the hardware. You get roughly 70+ games. You miss the playoffs (mostly) and the big ESPN/TNT nights. Honestly, for a casual fan, this is the smartest move.
The "Mid-Tier" fan uses Amazon Prime. You're probably already paying for it. It gives you the same games as the antenna but with better stability and the ability to watch on your iPad in bed.
The "Completionist" has to pay up. To get 82 games plus the playoffs, you're looking at:
- Amazon Prime (Local games)
- Sling TV or Hulu + Live TV (To get ESPN and TNT)
- A decent internet connection (Obviously)
It ends up costing around $75 to $90 a month during the season. Is it worth it? If you're watching 3 nights a week, maybe. If you're just a casual observer, stick to the antenna and go to a bar for the playoff games.
The VPN "Grey Area"
You’ll see people on Reddit talking about using a VPN to change their location. The idea is to tell ESPN+ that you’re in Miami so you can watch the Seattle broadcast while sitting in Queen Anne.
Does it work? Sometimes.
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Is it a pain? Absolutely.
The streaming services are getting much better at blocking known VPN IP addresses. You might spend 20 minutes trying to get the stream to load while the game is already 2-0. Plus, it technically violates the Terms of Service. Most people are moving away from this because the Prime Video deal made it less necessary for locals.
Why the broadcast crew matters
Part of the reason people are so desperate to find the right stream is the quality of the broadcast itself. The Kraken have one of the best booths in hockey. John Forslund's "Hey Hey Whatdya Say" is iconic. JT Brown and Eddie Olczyk bring a level of analysis that isn't just "hockey-talk" clichés.
When you watch on a national ESPN broadcast, you lose that local flavor. You get national announcers who might call the players by the wrong names or focus entirely on the opposing team's stars. That’s why fans hunt for the local feeds on Prime or KONG. You want the people who know the team's depth chart as well as you do.
Quick checklist for tonight's game
Before the puck drops, you need to do a quick check. Every game is different.
- Check the schedule on the Kraken app. It will explicitly say if the game is on KONG, KING 5, Prime Video, ESPN, or TNT.
- Check your location. If you’re traveling, your home setup might not work.
- Check your hardware. If you’re using an antenna, make sure it’s near a window. Seattle’s hills are notorious for blocking signals.
Actionable steps to get ready for the season
Stop scrambling five minutes after puck drop. Do these three things right now to ensure you're ready to how to watch Kraken games without the stress:
- Buy a Mohu Leaf or similar flat antenna. Even if you have streaming, this is your backup. If your internet goes down during a storm, the over-the-air signal usually stays up. It’s a one-time $25 investment that pays for itself in one season.
- Download the Seattle Kraken Mobile App. They have a "Where to Watch" feature for every single game. It updates in real-time. If there’s a last-minute time change or a network shift, that’s where you’ll find it first.
- Sync your Prime Video account. If you’re a local, open the Prime Video app on your TV today. Search for "Seattle Kraken" and "Follow" the team. This puts the upcoming games right on your home screen so you don't have to hunt through the "Movies" section to find live sports.
- Audit your streaming subs. If the Kraken are playing five national games in one month, that might be the month you subscribe to Sling Blue or Max. Then, cancel it when the schedule swings back to local broadcasts. There's no reason to pay for TNT in a month where the Kraken aren't on it.
The days of one-stop-shopping for sports are gone. It's frustrating, but with a little bit of planning—and maybe a piece of copper wire stuck to your window—you won't miss a single goal. Now go check your signal strength before the first period starts._