The Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League (NHL) has announced the upcoming launch of an exclusive multimedia television network. This new platform is set to debut this season, with the organization taking on full management of its broadcasts internally, in collaboration with NHL Productions. The Wild will oversee all aspects, including production, distribution, sales, and marketing for the network.
Mitch Helgerson, the Wild’s Chief Revenue Officer and Executive Vice President, expressed enthusiasm for the new network, highlighting its focus on fans. He emphasized that the initiative aims to ensure continuous and direct access to games, similar to previous seasons. Further details regarding availability, channel locations, and pricing for a direct-to-consumer streaming option, which will include annual and monthly subscriptions, are expected to be released before the regular season begins.
Broadcast Accessibility and Content
Fans will have multiple options to watch Minnesota Wild games this season, including traditional cable, satellite services, various streaming platforms, and over-the-air broadcasts. The new multimedia network will serve as the official television home for the Wild, producing every regular season game not broadcast nationally by the NHL’s exclusive partners such as ABC, ESPN, ESPN+/Hulu, and TNT. For fans residing outside the Wild’s local television market, games will be accessible through ESPN+ via the NHL Power Play.
The expansion into a local television network builds upon the team’s existing multimedia platform. This platform already includes the Minnesota Wild Audio Network, which is described as the largest audio network in the NHL. Other components of their multimedia presence are the Wild on 7th Podcast, the @MNWildAudio social media account, and original behind-the-scenes programming. The organization also maintains a significant social media following, with over 2.7 million followers across its various platforms.
NHL Productions is expanding its capabilities to include centralized production services for select club local broadcasts, with the Minnesota Wild being one of the teams to benefit from this starting with the 2026-27 season. These comprehensive production services from the League’s centralized group will encompass robust studio and show programming, premium game production, advanced graphics, replay capabilities, and technical and engineering support.
During the 2025-26 regular season, the Minnesota Wild demonstrated strong viewership, ranking among the top ten in household rating and viewership among the 25 U.S.-based NHL teams. Following the acquisition of Quinn Hughes, the team’s television ratings saw a 41% increase. The Wild also emerged as one of the two most-watched national television draws during the opening weekend of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, attracting 1.9 million viewers. Additionally, the team set a cable record for a Second Round Game 1 audience, with 2.22 million viewers.
On-Air Talent and Advertising
The Minnesota Wild telecasts will feature a dedicated team of on-air talent. Anthony LaPanta will serve as the play-by-play announcer, with Ryan Carter as the lead analyst. Kevin Gorg will provide coverage as the rink-side reporter. The pre- and postgame shows will be primarily hosted by Katie Storm and Wes Walz. Additionally, Alex Stalock and Lou Nanne are slated to contribute as analysts for select games.
For businesses interested in advertising opportunities on Minnesota Wild broadcasts, inquiries can be directed to Bryan Bellows, the Senior Director of Corporate Partnerships & Media Sales for the Minnesota Wild. He can be reached at (651) 341-2646 or via email.
The audio home for the Minnesota Wild continues to be KFAN FM 100.3 and iHeart Radio, marking their 16th season in this role. All Wild games will also be available for listening on the station’s website, www.kfan.com/listen, and through the iHeartRadio App. The Wild radio broadcast is also accessible via the Wild Mobile App, inside Grand Casino Arena at 95.7 FM, and across the broader Minnesota Wild Audio Network.
The St. Louis Blues also announced changes to their regional television broadcasts, indicating that they will gain more control over their broadcasts through a new partnership with the NHL, where the league will manage production and the Blues will handle distribution. Further information regarding the Minnesota Wild multimedia television network is available on wild.com/watch.
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Source: nhl.com
Mason Reed
Sports reporter covering football, basketball and international competitions.