A new season gives the Blue Jackets another shot at breaking through, and Columbus has tried to give that push a boost by adding Valeri Nichushkin to a returning core led by Zach Werenski. The hope around the club is clear: maybe this is the year the playoff drought finally ends.
But one of the biggest changes for fans this season has nothing to do with the roster. It’s about where they’ll actually be able to watch the team.
For the 2026-27 season, 82 of the Blue Jackets’ 84 regular-season games are set to air on the team-owned Blue Jackets Hockey Network, which is available regionally on Fubo through the streaming service’s newly launched My Local Sports add-on to its Fubo Sports subscription plan.
That setup is built for fans who want a one-stop streaming option. The Fubo Sports plan includes access to more than 30 sports-specific and major broadcast networks, including ESPN Unlimited, while the My Local Sports add-on gives viewers a way to follow the Blue Jackets all season. Fubo also includes NHL Center Ice at no extra charge, so hockey fans can keep up with the rest of the league, too.
Fubo is a live TV streaming service aimed squarely at sports fans. Instead of cable or satellite, subscribers use the Fubo app on supported devices like smart TVs, streaming sticks, phones, tablets and web browsers.
The appeal is pretty straightforward for cord-cutters who still want live games. Depending on the plan and location, Fubo carries major sports and broadcast networks such as ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC and ESPN, along with coverage of NFL games, college football, NBA, MLB, NHL, soccer, golf, racing and more.
Another big selling point is Cloud DVR. All U.S. plans come with unlimited Cloud DVR storage at no extra charge, which means fans can record games, shows and events and watch them later if schedules clash or they’re not home.
Fubo’s draw is flexibility. It blends live sports, local channels, national networks, add-ons and on-demand content without a long-term contract, giving viewers a cable-like setup with more room to adjust the package as needed.
The Fubo Sports + My Local Sports add-on costs $64.98 for the first month and $74.98 per month after that. It gives fans the national sports channels they need along with regional NHL, NBA and MLB coverage where available, plus NHL Center Ice. That makes it a strong fit for viewers who want as many home-team games as possible while still getting the major national networks.
Fubo Sports is the leaner, sports-first option. It’s designed for viewers who care most about live games, major sports channels and select local coverage without paying for a larger entertainment-heavy package.
Fubo’s Pro plan is the standard base option and a more complete live TV package. It includes 232 channels, ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC in select markets, ESPN Unlimited, regional NBA, NHL and MLB games, unlimited Cloud DVR, the ability to watch on up to 10 screens at once and no contract.
Elite expands the lineup to 295 channels and keeps the same core sports features, including ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC in select markets, ESPN Unlimited, regional NBA, NHL and MLB games, unlimited Cloud DVR, viewing on up to 10 screens at once and 4K included. It’s aimed at households that want more sports, news and entertainment in one place.
Elite with Sports Plus is the most loaded option. It starts at $78.99 for the first month after a free trial, then goes to $108.99 per month. The package includes 300+ channels, ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC in select markets, ESPN Unlimited, regional NBA, NHL and MLB games, Sports Plus with NFL RedZone, International Sports Plus, unlimited Cloud DVR, viewing on up to 10 screens at once and 4K included.
New U.S. subscribers may be able to start with a free trial on select plans. To sign up, fans go to the Fubo website, enter their ZIP code to see what plans, local channels and regional sports networks are available, choose the plan that fits, create an account with an email address, password and home ZIP code, then select any add-ons they want, such as Sports Plus with NFL RedZone, International Sports Plus, MLB.TV or DAZN. After that, they enter payment information and complete checkout.
In Other News...
Sabres Leave Columbus With Two Big Problems Already Showing
The Sabres opening-night trip to Columbus already handed them plenty to sort through, and not just because the scoreboard tilted the wrong way in a 6-3 loss. Buffalo showed some fight after the puck dropped on the 2026-27 season, but the Blue Jackets were able to keep pressing the pace and make the visitors chase the game almost immediately.
One of the few bright spots came from Owen Power, who was active in all three zones and helped drive Buffalos offense, but the bigger concern was in net, where the team did not get the kind of early stability it needed. With a tough schedule coming up, the Sabres are already facing an opening-week test of whether they can clean up the issues that showed up right away in Columbus. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jackets May Already Be Moving On From Jake Christiansen
Jake Christiansens night against Buffalo hinted at where he stands in the Blue Jackets defensive picture. Even with Columbus short-handed on the back end, he started with regular shifts and then saw his ice time dry up, a sign the staff was not leaning on him the way it had earlier in the game.
His usage also spoke volumes compared with the rest of the blue line, with Carson Soucy and Emil Andrae getting the larger share of the work as the night went on. The on-ice issues have been there too, from positioning to overall defensive reads, and if healthier options keep coming back, Christiansen may be fighting more than just the game in front of him. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jackets Just Showed How High The Price Is For Marchenko
Gary Bettmans concerns about no-trade clauses expanding beyond their original intent landed in the middle of a landscape where front offices are already spending plenty of time trying to thread impossible needles. For Columbus, the most revealing part of the conversation around Yegor Marchenko was not simply that another team had interest, but that the Blue Jackets were firm enough in their asking price to keep moving the goalposts on a deal even when the player himself was open to the destination.
Montreals inability to finish the trade underscores how much leverage Columbus had in the negotiations, and how expensive a scorer like Marchenko can be when a team is not looking to sell low. The broader NHL trade market only adds to the sense that the Blue Jackets are sitting on a valuable asset, with clubs everywhere trying to balance urgency, contract realities and limited pieces to offer in return. [Read more 🡒]