Content & Catalog
What to watch on IIHF.TV?
600+
Total titles
Content TypesLive TV · Live Sport · Originals
Sport StreamingWorks with VPNUpdated June 20, 2026
Reviewed by Radek Vlček · Affiliate DisclosureOur website contains affiliate links. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you.
How to Watch IIHF.TV in the US: VPN Guide 2026
The International Ice Hockey Federation switched on its own streaming channel in April 2025, putting the men’s and women’s World Championships, the U20 and U18 events and every qualifier straight onto one site, roughly six hundred games across a season. There is a catch that trips up American fans, though. The federation has to honor national broadcast deals. IIHF.TV is blocked in the US because NHL Network and ESPN hold the local rights, so their feed takes priority over the federation’s and US IP addresses get turned away.
That leaves a gap if you want the full federation slate, including lower divisions, women’s hockey and youth games that no US broadcaster carries. A VPN closes it. Point NordVPN at a country with no hockey rightsholder, such as Australia or New Zealand, buy a pass on your own account, and the entire schedule streams back to you in HD, replays and Originals included.
600+
Total titles
138
Countries
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Max quality
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VPNs work
1 min
Ready in
Quick answer
Does IIHF.TV work in the US?
No, the federation feed is geo-blocked on US IP addresses because NHL Network and ESPN own the American rights. To reach the full international slate, including divisions no US channel airs, connect NordVPN to a market without a hockey broadcaster, such as Australia, then buy a tournament pass on your own account. The channel loads as if you were local and every game unlocks.
VPN Compatibility
Best VPN for IIHF.TV
Tested weekly by our team. Green: works, amber: partial, red: blocked.
| VPN Service | Price | IIHF.TV | Tested | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 NordVPNBEST | From $2.99/mo | ✓ Works | July 5 | Try it |
 Surfshark | From $1.78/mo | ✓ Works | July 5 | Open |
 CyberGhost | From $1.75/mo | ✓ Works | July 4 | Open |
 ExpressVPN | From $2.79/mo | ✓ Works | July 5 | Open |
 IPVanish | From $2.19/mo | ✓ Works | June 30 | Open |
 ProtonVPN | From $3.59/mo | ✓ Works | July 1 | Open |
 Private Internet Access | From $1.79/mo | ✓ Works | July 3 | Open |
✓ WorksTested July 5
✓ WorksTested July 5
✓ WorksTested July 4
✓ WorksTested July 5
✓ WorksTested June 30
✓ WorksTested July 1
✓ WorksTested July 3
Tested on July 5, 2026 · 7 VPNs, 7 working · residential IP from Botswana · IIHF.TV updates detection continuously, results may change.
Streaming service blocking your VPN? Just disconnect and hop onto a different server in the same country. Stick to the ones labeled “streaming” or “optimized” because they’re literally built for this.
How-to
How to Unblock IIHF.TV with a VPN
Takes about 2 minutes. Works on your phone, tablet, TV, PC, or laptop.
- Pick a reliable VPNGo with NordVPN from $2.99. An annual plan lands cheaper, and a server in an available country handles live hockey without buffering.A yearly plan pays off; the hockey calendar runs from fall into spring.
- Connect to an available countrySwitch on a server in Australia, New Zealand or Spain. None of those markets has a hockey rightsholder blocking the federation feed, so the site opens cleanly.
- Open the channel and buy a passLaunch the federation site, create an account, and choose a one-off tournament pass or pay per game. Nothing renews automatically, so you are never charged twice.
- Start the streamSelect your match, confirm the connection is steady, and watch live or on demand in HD. Highlights and the Originals section stay available between tournaments.
Ready to watch IIHF.TV without borders?
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Availability
Which countries is IIHF.TV available in?
IIHF.TV is available in 138 countries, including in Australia, in New Zealand, in Japan, in the Netherlands and in South Africa. It is blocked in only 34 countries.
Available in 138 countries No VPN needed
AustraliaNew ZealandJapanNetherlandsSouth AfricaBrazilAfghanistanAlbaniaAlgeriaAndorraAngolaAntigua and Barbuda
Show all 126 more countries
ArgentinaArmeniaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBarbadosBelgiumBelizeBeninBoliviaBotswanaBruneiBurkina FasoBurundiCabo VerdeCambodiaCameroonCentral African RepublicChadChileColombiaComorosCongoCongo (DRC)Costa RicaCubaCyprusDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEswatiniEthiopiaFijiGabonGambiaGhanaGreeceGrenadaGuatemalaGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHondurasIcelandIranIraqJamaicaJordanKenyaKiribatiKuwaitLaosLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyaLuxembourgMadagascarMalawiMaliMaltaMarshall IslandsMauritaniaMauritiusMexicoMicronesiaMoldovaMonacoMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNorth KoreaOmanPalauPanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPortugalQatarRwandaSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint Vincent and GrenadinesSamoaSan MarinoSão Tomé and PríncipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSeychellesSierra LeoneSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth KoreaSouth SudanSpainSudanSurinameSyriaTanzaniaTimor-LesteTogoTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTuvaluUAEUgandaUruguayVanuatuVenezuelaYemenZambiaZimbabwe
IIHF.TV works without a VPN in Australia, in New Zealand, in Japan, in the Netherlands, in South Africa, in Brazil and in Afghanistan, plus in 131 more countries.
Partially available in 22 countries VPN required
IndiaBangladeshBhutanBosnia and HerzegovinaBulgariaCroatiaEstoniaIsraelKyrgyzstanLithuaniaMaldivesMontenegro
Show all 10 more countries
IIHF.TV also works in India, in Bangladesh, in Bhutan, in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in Bulgaria, plus in 17 more countries, but with limited content compared to fully available countries. NordVPN unlocks full access.
Blocked in 34 countries VPN required
IIHF.TV is blocked in the United States, in the United Kingdom, in Canada, in Ireland and in Germany, plus in 29 more countries. To access it, use a premium VPN like NordVPN.
Available
Partial
Blocked / unavailable
Last tested: June 19, 2026
Steer clear of free VPNs. Most of them actually collect and sell your data, lack proper security audits, and can even expose you to malware. They’re also useless for streaming. Platforms block them instantly, leaving you with more headaches than solutions. Stick to paid VPNs with verified audits, like NordVPN, if you want something that actually works.
About the platform
Who’s behind the service?
What is IIHF.TV
IIHF.TV is the International Ice Hockey Federation’s own streaming service, run out of Zurich with media partner Infront and live since the spring of 2025. The line-up is pure live international hockey: the men’s and women’s World Championships, the World Juniors and U18 Worlds plus their qualifiers, several hundred games a season, backed up by replays, highlights and a handful of Originals. The catch is geography. The service is blocked wherever a national broadcaster owns the rights, so it really comes into its own in markets without a local rights-holder, roughly 138 countries. You buy one-off passes for a single game or a full tournament and watch through the web player.
Company and history
Major changes
- The federation switched on IIHF.TV with its first broadcast, a women's World Championship Division II Group A game. Partner Infront, based in Switzerland, runs the streaming technology behind it.
- The top-tier women's World Championship reached IIHF.TV as its first marquee event. The bet on markets without a national broadcaster quickly proved to be the core of the whole project.
- The Originals section added highlights, behind-the-scenes footage and exclusive content alongside the live feeds. That moved IIHF.TV from a bare stream toward a full international-hockey library.
- The U20 World Junior Championship bolstered the winter slate on IIHF.TV. The federation thereby confirmed its plan to cover roughly six hundred games a season across every age category.
- The second full season of IIHF.TV opened with lower-division and youth tournaments. The model of one-off passes and per-game payments without auto-renewal stayed the same as at launch.
- The 2026 men's World Championship climaxed with a Switzerland versus Finland final. IIHF.TV carried the tournament into markets without a broadcaster, while the big hockey nations stayed behind the geo-block.
Unlock IIHF.TV broadcasts from other countries
Connect NordVPN, switch your country, and stream the live broadcasts IIHF.TV carries in other regions, backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Devices & Quality
Watch on all your devices
Supported devices
Video quality
HDHDRDolby VisionDolby Atmos
Insider Tips
Tips & tricks you should know
5 tips from our IIHF.TV testing team · Updated June 19, 2026
- Watching a single match? Grab the one-off single-game pass; planning to follow the whole event? The full-tournament pass works out far better per game.
- IIHF.TV carries IIHF events only, the Men's and Women's Worlds plus the U20 and U18 tournaments, so do not expect club hockey or NHL here.
- Stuck in a country where a national broadcaster holds the rights, like the US or UK? Use NordVPN to connect to an available region such as Australia, buy a pass and stream.
- Passes are one-off with no auto-renewal, so once the championship ends there is nothing to cancel and no surprise charge for a later period.
- The web player is the only confirmed way to watch, so open IIHF.TV in your laptop or phone browser rather than hunting for a native TV or Chromecast app.
Alternatives
Other services you can watch
Not the right fit? Here are services in the same category you can compare.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know before subscribing to IIHF.TV.
NHL Network and ESPN hold the American rights to the World Championship, so their feed takes priority. The federation has to honor that deal, which is why IIHF.TV refuses US IP addresses. To reach the full slate, including lower divisions that no US channel airs, connect NordVPN to a country without a hockey broadcaster and buy a pass on your own account.
IIHF.TV carries live international ice hockey: the men’s and women’s World Championships, the U20 and U18 events and the qualifiers, roughly six hundred games a season. You also get highlights, replays and an Originals section. It is not a movie or series library, just national-team hockey from the federation. With NordVPN you can also reach lower divisions that air nowhere else.
You pay with a one-off tournament pass or per individual game, always without auto-renewal, so nothing charges you twice. The exact figure varies by tournament and country. You cover the subscription yourself on your own account; NordVPN only changes your location so the channel loads at all. In the US, NHL Network carries the World Championship on a separate paid plan.
Web playback in a browser is the confirmed route for IIHF.TV, so it works on a computer, phone or tablet. The federation does not promise a dedicated app for smart TVs or consoles. A NordVPN connection runs at the operating-system level, so any device you open the site on is covered. The federation lists streams in HD quality.
It depends where you go. IIHF.TV reads your IP address, so a country with a hockey broadcaster blocks you just like home. If you head to Australia or Spain, the channel runs there without a VPN. Keep NordVPN ready anyway, so you can connect to an available country from anywhere and not miss the tournament over a foreign network.
The federation opens IIHF.TV wherever it has no contracted national broadcaster. That covers Australia, New Zealand, Spain and much of Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia, hundreds of markets in all. It is blocked across most major hockey nations, where a deal already exists. From the US you reach an available country through NordVPN in seconds, and the feed loads as if you were local.
Yes, that depth is where IIHF.TV stands out. Alongside the men’s championship it carries the women’s World Championship, the U20 and U18 events and lower divisions that mainstream channels skip. NHL Network mostly airs the men’s elite in the US, so for the full national-team slate the federation feed is the better pick. Reach it from an available country with NordVPN.
Usually not. Free VPNs run few, crowded servers and live hockey stalls or drops to a blocky picture on them. They also struggle with the data a full game demands. IIHF.TV deserves a steady connection, so go with a paid NordVPN and its fast servers. A cheap annual plan costs less over a whole hockey season than the frustration of a stuttering stream.
NHL Network holds the US rights and airs the World Championship on a paid plan, focused on the men’s elite. IIHF.TV goes wider: lower divisions, women’s hockey, junior tournaments and qualifiers, roughly six hundred games a season. If you want only the headline men’s games, your local broadcaster covers them. For everything else, connect NordVPN to an available country and open the federation source.
Unlock every IIHF.TV broadcast worldwide
NordVPN lets you switch country and stream the live broadcasts IIHF.TV carries in other regions. Risk-free 30-day money-back.
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