How to watch the 2026 IIHF World Championship by Country (Free Streaming Options Available)
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The 2026 IIHF Men’s World Championship is underway in Zurich and Fribourg, Switzerland, with the group stage running toward the knockout rounds at the end of May. The tournament features 16 national teams and 64 games, with the gold medal game scheduled for May 31st.
The early group stage has already delivered major storylines. Finland beat the defending champion United States 6-2, Canada strengthened its start with a 5-1 win over Denmark, while Czechia beat Sweden and host nation Switzerland continued its strong opening run against Germany. With the USA trying to defend its 2025 title and Canada, Finland, Sweden, Czechia, and Switzerland all pushing for medals, the race for quarterfinal places is already taking shape.
Streaming availability depends heavily on where you are watching from. Some countries have free public-broadcaster coverage, including Czechia, Latvia, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, while the US, Canada, and Nordic markets rely mainly on paid sports broadcasters. Below, we explain where to watch the 2026 IIHF World Championship by country, which free streams are available, and how to access your usual coverage safely while traveling abroad.
Where to watch the 2026 IIHF World Championship
Below is an overview of official broadcasters for the 2026 tournament by country.
| Country | Broadcaster | Free? | Price |
| United States | NHL Network + ESPN+ | No | From $45.99/month (via Fubo) |
| Canada | TSN / RDS | No | CA$29.99/month (TSN+) |
| United Kingdom | Premier Sports | No | From £12.99/month |
| Finland | Viaplay Finland | No | Paid |
| Sweden | Viaplay Sweden | No | Paid |
| Norway | Viaplay Norway | No | Paid |
| Czech Republic | CT Sport | Yes | Free |
| Latvia | LTV7 / LSM.lv | Yes | Free |
| Austria | ORF | Yes | Free (selected games) |
| Switzerland | SRF / RTS | Yes | Free (selected games) |
| Germany | ProSieben / ran.de / Joyn | Yes | Free (selected games) |
| Germany (all games) | Sporteurope.TV | No | €15 tournament pass / €6 per game |
| Selected countries | IIHF.TV | No | €30 tournament pass / €7 per game |
How to watch the 2026 IIHF World Championship for free with a VPN
- Choose a VPN. We recommend NordVPN for streaming live sports. Its NordLynx protocol retains around 83% of your base connection speed, which keeps live hockey streams smooth and buffer-free.
- Install the VPN app. Download the app on your device. NordVPN supports Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Android TV, and Fire TV. For smart TVs without native VPN support, use a browser on a laptop or cast from your phone.
- Connect to a server in the relevant country. Open the app and select a server in the Czech Republic for CT Sport, Latvia for LSM.lv, Austria for ORF, Switzerland for SRF or RTS, or Germany for ran.de and Joyn. If the stream does not load on the first try, switch to a different server in the same country.
- Open the streaming platform. Go to the broadcaster's website in your browser or open their app. Use a private browsing window and clear cookies beforehand if you have visited the site before from a different location.
- Start watching. Find the live broadcast in the sports or live TV section and start streaming. Keep the VPN connected for the full duration of the match.
Can you watch on IIHF.TV?
IIHF.TV is the federation's official streaming platform, offering a single-game pass at €7 or a full tournament pass at €30. However, it is not available to most hockey fans due to an extensive geo-block list.
The 2026 Men's World Championship is blocked on IIHF.TV in virtually every major hockey market, including the United States, Canada, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Denmark, Latvia, Hungary, Italy, Poland, France, Slovenia, and many more. If you are based in any of these countries, purchasing an IIHF.TV pass will not give you access to the tournament.
IIHF.TV is only accessible for fans in countries without an active broadcast deal, which covers parts of Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and Oceania. If you are in one of those regions, the €30 pass is a straightforward way to watch every game live and on demand.
Free options - watch the 2026 IIHF World Championship for free with a VPN
Several countries broadcast the tournament through free public broadcasters, including the Czech Republic, Latvia, Austria, Switzerland, and Germany. These are the confirmed options, but they are not the only ones. Many other countries have free-to-air broadcast deals for the tournament that are not listed here. If your home country has a public broadcaster with IIHF rights, the same approach applies: connect a VPN to a server in your home country and access the stream as you normally would.
All free streams are geo-restricted and only work from within their home country. A VPN changes your virtual location so you can access them from anywhere. This is one of the most practical options for traveling fans who want to watch without paying for an additional subscription.
🇨🇿 Czech Republic - CT Sport (all games)
CT Sport carries the full tournament free of charge. Czech team games air on the main CT Sport channel, while all other matches are available on CT Sport Plus, the broadcaster's free online streaming platform. Commentary is in Czech. Czech fans traveling abroad can use a VPN connected to a Czech server to access every game for free.
🇱🇻 Latvia - LTV7 and LSM.lv (all 64 games)
Latvia's public broadcaster LTV7 will air 34 games live on television, with a further 14 available on demand. All 64 games of the tournament are available to stream free online via LSM.lv and REplay.lv, making this one of the most comprehensive free streaming options available anywhere. Commentary is in Latvian. Latvian fans traveling during the tournament can use a VPN connected to a Latvian server to access the full free stream.
🇦🇹 Austria - ORF (selected games)
ORF broadcasts selected games from the tournament free of charge via its TVthek online platform, with a focus on major knockout rounds. Coverage is not confirmed for all 64 games. Commentary is in German. Austrian fans abroad can use a VPN with an Austrian server to access the free stream.
🇨🇭 Switzerland - SRF and RTS (selected games)
As the host country, Switzerland's public broadcasters SRF (German-language) and RTS (French-language) provide free coverage of selected games, with particular focus on Swiss team matches and the knockout rounds. Both platforms stream live online at no cost and are geo-restricted to Switzerland. Swiss fans traveling during the tournament can use a VPN connected to a Swiss server to watch for free.
Germany — ProSieben, ran.de, and Joyn (selected games free) / Sporteurope.TV (all 64 games, paid)
🇩🇪 Germany - ProSieben, ran.de, and Joyn (selected games free)
German fans have strong free coverage through ProSieben and ProSieben MAXX, which broadcast all German team games and selected top matches including knockout rounds on free-to-air television. Both channels stream free online via ran.de and Joyn with no account or subscription required. Commentary is in German and all platforms are geo-restricted to Germany.
Fans who want to watch all 64 games can purchase a tournament pass on Sporteurope.TV (formerly Sportdeutschland.TV) for €15, or individual games from €6. Sporteurope.TV is the only platform in Germany showing the full tournament, with 43 games exclusive to the platform. No subscription is required.
How to watch the 2026 IIHF World Championship by country
How to watch in the United States
The 2026 IIHF Men's World Championship is broadcast in the United States on NHL Network and ESPN+, covering the full tournament from May 15 through May 31. Games begin early in the morning due to the time difference with Switzerland, with opening day matches starting from 6 a.m. ET on May 15.
Fans without a cable subscription have several options to stream NHL Network. Fubo includes NHL Network in its base plan, starting at $45.99/month for the first month and $55.99/month thereafter. DirecTV Stream includes NHL Network from $64.99/month. Sling TV carries NHL Network via its Sports Extra add-on, which costs $11/month on top of a base plan starting at around $46/month. ESPN+ is available as a standalone service from $12.99/month, or as part of the ESPN Unlimited plan at $29.99/month.
How to watch in Canada
TSN and RDS carry all 64 games of the 2026 IIHF World Championship in Canada. Fans without a cable or satellite subscription can stream via TSN+, which costs CA$29.99/month or CA$249.99/year following a price increase in April 2026. Coverage begins with the opening games on May 15.
Canadian fans traveling outside Canada will need a VPN connected to a Canadian server to access TSN+ from abroad.
How to watch in the United Kingdom
The 2026 IIHF World Championship is available in the United Kingdom on Premier Sports, which holds IIHF World Championship broadcast rights through 2028. A Premier Sports subscription starts from £12.99/month via streaming or through a Sky subscription.
How to watch in Finland, Sweden, and Norway
Fans in Finland, Sweden, and Norway can watch the tournament on Viaplay, which holds exclusive Nordic broadcast rights to the IIHF World Championship. The three countries are served by Viaplay Finland, Viaplay Sweden, and Viaplay Norway respectively.
There is no confirmed free public broadcaster option in any of the three Nordic markets, as NRK, SVT, and Yle do not hold IIHF rights. Nordic fans traveling abroad will need a VPN connected to a server in their home country to access their Viaplay subscription.
How to watch in the Czech Republic
Czech fans can watch the entire tournament for free on CT Sport. Czech team games air on the main channel, while all other games are available on CT Sport Plus online, also free. CT Sport is geo-restricted to the Czech Republic.
How to watch in Latvia
Latvian fans can watch all 64 games for free. LTV7 broadcasts 34 games live on television, with a further 14 available on demand. The full tournament is accessible online via LSM.lv and REplay.lv. Both platforms are geo-restricted to Latvia.
How to watch in Austria
Austrian fans can watch selected games for free on ORF via its TVthek platform, including major knockout rounds. Coverage is not confirmed for all 64 games. ORF is geo-restricted to Austria.
How to watch in Switzerland
As the host country, Swiss fans are served by SRF (German-language) and RTS (French-language), both of which broadcast selected games free of charge online. Host-country coverage is expected to be particularly strong, especially for Swiss team matches and the knockout rounds. Both platforms are geo-restricted to Switzerland.
How to watch in Germany
German fans have two tiers of coverage. ProSieben and ProSieben MAXX broadcast all German team games and selected top matches free on television, with free online streams available via ran.de and Joyn. For the full tournament including all 64 games, Sporteurope.TV offers a one-time tournament pass at €15 or individual games from €6, with no subscription required.
How to watch the 2026 IIHF World Championship with a VPN
Step 1 – Choose a VPN with servers in your home country
To access your home streaming service abroad, you need a VPN with reliable servers in your country and fast enough speeds for live HD sports. Our guide to the best VPN services covers the top options in detail.
- NordVPN – starting at $3.49/month on a two-year plan, NordVPN is our top pick for streaming live sports abroad. It retains around 83% of base connection speeds in our tests. The NordLynx protocol keeps latency low during live streams, and Smart DNS support makes it compatible with smart TVs that do not support VPN apps natively. Read our full NordVPN review for more detail.
- Surfshark – starting at $2.49/month on a two-year plan, Surfshark is the best budget option for hockey fans who need to connect multiple devices at once. It supports unlimited simultaneous connections, runs 4,500+ servers across 100 countries, and uses the WireGuard protocol for smooth HD streaming with around 82% speed retention in our tests. Read our full Surfshark review.
- Proton VPN – starting at $2.99/month on an annual plan, Proton VPN is a strong choice for privacy-focused fans. It is based in Switzerland, which is fitting given the tournament's host country, and operates under strict Swiss privacy laws. With 20,300+ servers across 148 countries, it reliably unblocks sports broadcasters and maintains solid speeds for live streaming. Read our full Proton VPN review.
Step 2 – Install the VPN app on your device
Download and install the VPN app on the device you plan to watch on. Most major VPNs support Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. For iPhones, see our best VPN for iPhone guide. For Android devices, our best VPN for Android recommendations cover the leading options. Laptop users can refer to our best Windows VPN guide.
Step 3 – Connect to a server in your home country
Open the VPN app and select a server in your home country. This gives you a local IP address that your streaming service will recognize. A Canadian fan in Europe should connect to a Canadian server to access TSN+, while a Latvian fan should connect to a Latvian server to access LSM.lv for free. If the stream does not load, try a different server in the same country. Our guide on how to change your location with a VPN explains the full process.
Step 4 – Open your streaming platform
With the VPN connected, open your streaming service in a browser or app. If you have visited the site before without a VPN, open it in a private or incognito window and clear your cookies first. Log in to your existing account as normal. For free services like CT Sport or LSM.lv, you may need to create a free account if you do not already have one.
Step 5 – Start watching
Find the live broadcast in the sports or live TV section and start streaming. Keep the VPN active for the entire match. If the stream drops or buffers, switch to a different server in the same country, restart the app, or clear the browser cache. On mobile, make sure the VPN app is set to run in the background so it does not disconnect when the screen locks.
2026 IIHF World Championship schedule - key dates and times
The tournament runs for 17 days across two venues. Below are the key phases with times converted to the most common viewing time zones. Exact times for the knockout rounds will be confirmed after the group stage concludes. Check the full schedule at iihf.com for the latest updates.
| Phase | Date | Local (CEST) | ET | BST | AEST |
| Tournament opens | May 15, 2026 | From 16:20 CEST | 10:20 AM ET | 3:20 PM BST | 12:20 AM AEST |
| Group stage ends | May 25, 2026 | Various | Various | Various | Various |
| Quarterfinals | May 27, 2026 | TBC | TBC | TBC | TBC |
| Semifinals | May 29, 2026 | TBC | TBC | TBC | TBC |
| Bronze medal game | May 31, 2026 | TBC | TBC | TBC | TBC |
| Gold medal game | May 31, 2026 | TBC | TBC | TBC | TBC |
