Published 2:04 pm Wednesday, September 2, 2026
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The Western Hockey League (WHL) will be temporarily available to be streamed for free on YouTube following “uncertainty” with the league’s now former media partner, Victory+.
In an announcement on Wednesday, Sept. 2, the league said its games will broadcasted to YouTube on an “interim basis.”
“The WHL’s audience is growing rapidly. We continue to believe that providing easy access to games is of critical value and importance as we look to expand our reach and deliver WHL excitement to our fans,” said WHL Commissioner Dan Near in a press release.
“By moving WHL regular season games to YouTube on a short-term basis, we are protecting that access for fans to livestream their favourite WHL Club and watch their favourite WHL stars when the 2026-27 season gets underway Friday, September 18.”
The WHL consists of 23 hockey teams in Western Canada and in the Northwest U.S. The league is a member of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL).
Victory+ has been the league’s livestreaming partner since March 2025, broadcasting two playoffs and one full regular season during their tenure. The streaming platform runs on an ad-based business model and notably broadcasts games, including European soccer club Inter Milan.
While Near announced that the WHL has “parted ways” with Victory+, he added that the league experience “remarkable growth” during the partnership.
At this time, multiple outlets are reporting Victory+ could shut down, following the WHL as well as the NHL’s Dallas Stars and Anaheim Ducks leaving the platform.
“WHL Clubs pushed forward, investing in their production and exploring new ways to deliver games to fansm fans who discovered the WHL because of our decision to work alongside Victory+, a company with Western Canadian roots. In today’s changing landscape, accessibility to the product is paramount and we will explore all options to deliver games to WHL fans around the world,” Near said
The WHL said it will be releasing more information on its plan to livestream games to Youtube prior to the start of the 2026-27 season. In the release, the league did not specify how long games will be broadcasted to Youtube for.
The news comes as WHL teams head into their preseason games.
