After months of wondering, the Blue Jackets finally answered the biggest question from their fanbase this summer: how are we going to watch games this season? Their solution is a partnership with Prime Video, introducing Blue Jackets Hockey Network.
This is great news, if you live out of market. Per reports, you can still watch the games via ESPN+. If you live in the Columbus TV area? Well, ready yourself up for yet another punch in the gut. Here goes...
If you live in Columbus, to catch every Blue Jackets game on TV this year, you will need a subscription to their new TV network via Prime Video. That subscription is not cheap, with a $19.99/month cost (or $99.99 for the year). Hey, at least it isn't a hundred bucks, right? Wait a minute...
The team will broadcast some of their games via over the air channels, but have not yet announced which games; or even how many. Those details will come out as the season gets closer.
How does this compare to Fan Duel Sports Network?
I had to ask this question myself, because I live out of market (phew). According to our own Weston Motz, who subscribed to FDSN last season; his subscription cost was $190 for the year. However, that included Cleveland Cavaliers games.
If you're going off of that metric (split it in half), the cost does come up, but not too much. If you were a subscriber, odds are you aren't that surprised or upset by the cost of the new network.
It is also reported that a Prime Video subscription is not required to subscribe and watch the new BJHN, so that will help save some of the cost as well; assuming you don't already have Prime.
Yes. The 19.99 per month is an extra add-on and not included in a regular subscription.
— Mark Scheig (@mark_scheig) September 2, 2026
For fans who don't have Prime, you can create a free account and choose to subscribe to the #CBJ channel by itself.
Bottom line is to watch them this way, 19.99 per month. https://t.co/8E60zLwF3h
All of the familiar faces from last season's TV broadcasts will return. This is a positive thing for a fanbase that is still reeling from the loss of both our beloved inside reporter and radio voice.
Paywalling games in the local market makes zero sense.
This is the part that makes the least sense to me. If you live in the Blue Jackets' TV market, this adds another subscription (and fee) to watch your local sports team. Shouldn't you be included in their main target audience? One would assume that more local eyes on the product is better.
However, it's actually easier to watch games from outside of the viewing area. Our cost for the ESPN+ bundle that my family currently uses is less than $20 per month. That bundle includes Disney+ and Hulu, which gives us a massive breadth of content to watch at our convenience.
It also lets us watch out of market hockey games from around the entire NHL, assuming those games aren't on national TV. The Blue Jackets are hoping to glean more money than the cost of that entire bundle, just so their local fans can tune in to roughly 80 of their regular season games.
How many people are lining up to watch Blue Jackets games to begin with?
I have to assume that's not good for TV ratings. I can say with full certainty that I won't be paying extra for the new Hurricanes Hockey Network, as I live in their viewing area. And they are the reigning Stanley Cup champs.
Instead of rewarding their die-hard fans with something they can love and cherish, the organization is choosing to simply pass along another cost to the 5th Line. Meanwhile, they are downsizing their front line media presence to cut costs on the back end. I warned you that it would be a gut punch.
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