# NCHC.tv vs Black Bear Nation

The clearest difference is rating: Black Bear Nation at 4.8 against NCHC.tv's 1.7. Black Bear Nation also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1). NCHC.tv's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 4 months) and device support (4 vs 2). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. NCHC.tv sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $34.99 per month. Black Bear Nation asks for nothing beyond the download.

Black Bear Nation holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 1.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 106 and 28 respectively.

NCHC.tv ships an update monthly, Black Bear Nation every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | NCHC.tv | Black Bear Nation |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [1.7 (106 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nchctv/id1156548112/reviews) | **[4.8 (28 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/black-bear-nation/id1521886316/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **106** | 28 |
| Positive reviews | 7.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free** |
| Size | 74 MB | 272 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [National Collegiate Hockey Conference](https://appshunter.io/developer/1156548111) | [University of Maine System](https://appshunter.io/developer/1453562095) |

## What reviewers say

### NCHC.tv

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nchctv/id1156548112)

Stream live NCAA Division I men's ice hockey games and on-demand video content from all eight member schools. Stay updated with conference standings, social feeds, and feature stories to remain connected to college hockey.

**Highlights:** Live game streaming, On-demand video content, Conference standings, Social feeds, Feature stories

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Subscription | $34.99 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great sport content
- 👍 Works on phone
- 👍 Streaming great on some devices

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app crashes
- 🐛 Live stream lag/delay
- 🐛 Poor video quality
- 🐛 App won't load/open
- 🐛 Casting issues

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes frequently
- Live games delayed significantly
- Video feed is laggy or frozen
- App does not load or open
- Casting to TVs is unreliable or not working

**Requested features**

- Add live activities feature
- Better camera angles for goals/penalties
- Improved calendar/schedule layout
- Include player interviews/pressers
- Replace AI morning skate with human host


### Black Bear Nation

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/black-bear-nation/id1521886316)

Stay connected with the University of Maine Black Bears. Access live scores, game stats, and play-by-play information. Engage with interactive social media streams and receive important news notifications.

**Highlights:** Interactive social media stream, Live scores and stats, Play-by-play game information, Important news notifications, Fan engagement tools

**Features:** Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is NCHC.tv free?

NCHC.tv is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Black Bear Nation free?

Black Bear Nation is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, NCHC.tv or Black Bear Nation?

Black Bear Nation is rated higher. NCHC.tv averages 1.7 out of 5 from 106 ratings, while Black Bear Nation averages 4.8 from 28 ratings.

### Do NCHC.tv or Black Bear Nation have ads?

Neither NCHC.tv nor Black Bear Nation shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, NCHC.tv or Black Bear Nation?

NCHC.tv ships an update monthly, and Black Bear Nation every 4 months. Most recently, NCHC.tv was updated on October 26, 2026 and Black Bear Nation on October 29, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*