April 25, 2024 (SEATTLE) – The Seattle Kraken today announced new multi-year agreements with TEGNA and Prime Video to offer more options for fans to watch their games throughout the Pacific Northwest.
Starting next season, TEGNA stations KING 5 and KONG in Seattle will broadcast all non-nationally televised games – more than 70 in total – for free over the air. KING 5 becomes the official television partner of the Seattle Kraken, taking fans behind the scenes with exclusive Kraken coverage led by Sports Director, Paul Silvi.
In addition, Prime Video will stream all non-nationally televised games for Prime members in Washington, Oregon and Alaska, which will include pre-season, regular season and the first round of playoffs. The Kraken are the first NHL team to partner directly with the streamer.
All non-nationally televised games will be broadcast on TEGNA’s KONG, with a number of games throughout the season simulcast on TEGNA’s NBC affiliate, KING 5. In addition, games will be broadcast free over the air on TEGNA stations KGW, the NBC affiliate in Portland, and KREM, the CBS affiliate in Spokane. TEGNA will work with additional broadcast companies in the coming weeks to expand free over-the-air broadcast access to all available television markets in Washington, Oregon and Alaska.
The move marks a departure from ROOT SPORTS who broadcast the NHL’s newest franchise’s games during their first three seasons.
“ROOT has been a terrific partner for us; we have appreciated their support as we determined our broadcast plans moving forward,” said Kraken owner, Sam Holloway. “Today’s announcement is a game changer for our fans. Our goal is to increase the ways they can watch our games – whether they’re cheering us on at home or on the go. To have both TEGNA and Prime Video as trusted partners is a dream come true. I can’t wait for more fans to fall in love with Kraken hockey.”
“Our collaboration with the Seattle Kraken marks a significant milestone in our commitment to celebrating the essence of local sports on local broadcast television,” said Dave Lougee, president and CEO, TEGNA. “We look forward to bringing every thrilling moment of Kraken hockey to all viewers in the Pacific Northwest as we build on our long-standing commitment to the region.”
“Seattle Kraken hockey is synonymous with the Pacific Northwest, and we're thrilled to bring Prime members in Washington, Oregon and Alaska access to Kraken games on Prime Video,” said Charlie Neiman, head of sports partnerships, Prime Video. “Live Kraken games add to our growing selection of premium live sports and deliver additional value for Prime members throughout the Kraken home footprint.”
John Forslund, JT Brown, Eddie Olczyk, Alison Lukan and Nick Olczyk will continue broadcasting the games next season. Legendary play-by-play announcer John Forslund joined the team in 2021 alongside newly retired NHLer JT Brown and analytics expert, Alison Lukan. In season two, the team grew to include Stanley Cup-winner and U.S. Hockey Hall of Famer Eddie Olczyk in the booth, and award-winning broadcaster Nick Olczyk at the desk. The team’s broadcast has been widely praised and was named number one in The Athletic’s 2023 NHL broadcast rankings, voted by fans.
KING 5, TEGNA, and the Kraken will lead advertising and sponsorship sales for all local games.
Since joining the NHL in 2021, the league’s 32nd franchise has hosted the 2023-24 NHL Discover Winter Classic in front of a sold-out crowd of 47,313 fans, gone to the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs to defeat the reigning Stanley Cup champions Colorado Avalanche in the first round, and had their franchise first draft pick, Matty Beniers, take home the Calder Memorial Trophy for rookie of the year in 2022-23.
Information on the Kraken’s broadcast team is available at nhl.com/Kraken
About the Seattle Kraken
Joining the NHL in 2021, the Seattle Kraken are the league's 32nd franchise and this season’s host of the 2024 Discover NHL Winter Classic. The 2023-24 NHL season is the team’s third at Climate Pledge Arena after a franchise-first playoff run during the 2022-23 season. Visit https://www.nhl.com/krakenwfor the latest news and information including press releases, multimedia content, and the latest hires.
About TEGNA
TEGNA Inc. (NYSE: TGNA) is an innovative media company that serves the greater good of our communities. Across platforms, TEGNA tells empowering stories, conducts impactful investigations and delivers innovative marketing solutions. With 64 television stations in 51 U.S. markets, TEGNA is the largest owner of top 4 network affiliates in the top 25 markets among independent station groups, reaching approximately 39 percent of all television households nationwide. TEGNA also owns leading multicast networks True Crime Network and Quest. TEGNA offers innovative solutions to help businesses reach consumers across television, digital and over-the-top (OTT) platforms, including Premion, TEGNA’s OTT advertising service. For more information, visit www.tegna.com.
About Prime Video Sports
Prime Video supports a growing lineup of live sports globally, including Thursday Night Football, NASCAR, the New York Yankees, Overtime Elite, and Premier Boxing Champions in the United States; the NWSL, the WNBA, and ONE Championship in the United States and Canada; UEFA Champions League football in the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy; Roland-Garros and Ligue 1 in France; New Zealand Cricket in India; as well as Copa do Brasil football and the NBA in Brazil; and boxing and the 2023 World Baseball Classic in Japan. While availability varies by marketplace, fans can also subscribe to streaming services such as Sportsnet, Eurosport, FOX Sports (Mexico), Viaplay Sport, MLB.TV, NBA League Pass, NBA TV, DAZN (Germany and Spain), and Premiere FC (Brazil) through Prime Video Channels. This is in addition to a selection of Amazon Original sports documentaries including Kelce, Bye Bye Barry, Coach Prime, Giannis, and the Amazon Original All or Nothing franchise.
