Streaming news roundup: the Bundesliga lands a new US home, the NHL schedule drops, and where to catch the World Cup finale

Three things worth knowing today: the Bundesliga is leaving ESPN+ for USA Network and free Fandango streaming, the NHL reveals its opening-night matchups this morning and the full schedule tomorrow, and the World Cup second semifinal is this afternoon with the Final set for Sunday on FOX.

The gist: Three things landed in quick succession. The Bundesliga's US rights moved from ESPN+ to USA Network and Fandango — most matches will stream free starting in August. The NHL drops its opening-night matchups today and the full 2026-27 schedule tomorrow. And tonight, the World Cup's second semifinal (England vs. Argentina, 3 p.m. ET on FOX) sets the Final field ahead of Sunday's championship. Here's what each means for your viewing.

The Bundesliga moves from ESPN+ to USA Network and free Fandango streaming

Yesterday, Versant's USA Sports announced a five-year deal to become the exclusive English-language US home of Germany's Bundesliga starting with the 2026-27 season — ending a six-year run on ESPN+.

The new setup is straightforward:

• USA Network airs at least 30 matches per season on linear cable — the same channel that already carries Premier League games.
• Fandango streams the remaining 275+ matches for free — no subscription required. Fandango has been mostly a movie-ticketing and video-on-demand app; this is its first major live-sports play.

Coverage opens August 22 with the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup — defending champion Bayern Munich vs. Borussia Dortmund. The deal runs through 2030-31 and is valued at $100 million over five years, up from the roughly $30 million per year ESPN paid.

The practical upside: if you were watching Bundesliga on ESPN+, you'll get the same 300-plus matches per season, but most of them will be free rather than behind a paywall. The downside is the platform shift — you'll need to find the game on Fandango or USA Network instead of the ESPN app.

The NHL's 2026-27 schedule drops today and tomorrow

The NHL reveals its opening-night matchups this morning on ESPN and publishes the full 84-game regular-season schedule tomorrow, Thursday July 16 — the league's first 84-game slate since 1993-94.

If you've been waiting to figure out where your local team's games will land, this is the week. Most of the teams that left the shuttered FanDuel regional sports networks have already announced new homes (the Red Wings are moving to Detroit SportsNet, the Predators to Scripps Sports), but the Blues still haven't confirmed their broadcast home for 2026-27. We covered the full local-TV picture in last week's roundup.

Tonight and Sunday: the last two World Cup matches

The second semifinal is today at 3 p.m. ET — England vs. Argentina at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, on FOX in English and Telemundo in Spanish (streaming on Peacock). Messi's Argentina reached the semis after extra time against Switzerland; England came through on a Bellingham winner against Norway.

The winner meets France or Spain in the Final on Sunday, July 19 at 3 p.m. ET from MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford — also on FOX and Telemundo.

For the complete breakdown of every match, what's free over the air, and which single subscription covers the whole tournament, see our World Cup viewing guide.

Not sure which of this week's games you can already watch? StreamCaddy maps the cheapest correct way to watch all of your teams and events for your exact location and subscriptions.

Sources

1. Reuters / 104.5 & 96.1 The Point — "Versant's USA Sports secures U.S. Bundesliga rights in live programming push" (five-year deal through 2030-31; USA Network airs 30+ matches; Fandango streams 275+ free; coverage opens Aug. 22 with Franz Beckenbauer Supercup), July 14, 2026 — https://wxerfm.com/2026/07/14/versants-usa-sports-secures-u-s-bundesliga-rights-in-live-programming-push/
2. Sports Business Journal — "Bundesliga, Versant ink five-year deal, putting games on USA Network, Fandango" ($100M deal; ESPN deal was ~$30M/year; Spanish-language rights TBD; Relevent Sports repped Bundesliga), July 14, 2026 — https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/2026/07/14/bundesliga-versant-ink-five-year-deal-putting-games-on-usa-network-fandango/
3. Pro Hockey Rumors — "NHL To Announce 2026-27 Season Schedule On July 16" (opening-night matchups July 15 on ESPN; full 84-game schedule July 16), July 7, 2026 — https://www.prohockeyrumors.com/2026/07/nhl-to-announce-regular-season-schedule-on-july-16.html
4. Yahoo Sports — "World Cup semifinals bracket: Full schedule, matchups and path to the final" (England vs. Argentina July 15, 3 p.m. ET, Atlanta, FOX; Final July 19 MetLife Stadium, FOX), July 12, 2026 — https://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/article/world-cup-semifinals-bracket-full-schedule-matchups-and-path-to-the-final-164942403.html