The Tampa Bay Lightning have entered into a multi-year media rights agreement with Scripps Sports, which will make it easier than ever for fans throughout the Tampa Bay area to watch Lightning hockey games for free beginning with the start of the 2025-26 NHL season this fall.
This new agreement allows The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP) to produce and distribute all preseason, regular season and first-round playoff Lightning games that are not allocated exclusively to national broadcasts.
Scripps, which owns WFTS-ABC Action News serving the Tampa television market, plans to launch a second full-power local station serving the Tampa-St. Petersburg area, WXPX-TV, which will be the broadcast home of the Lightning. That station will be branded “The Spot – Tampa Bay 66” and will launch locally on July 1, featuring news and entertainment programming in addition to all locally produced Lightning games. Scripps is in discussions with cable and satellite distributors to ensure Lightning games on The Spot will be available on cable, satellite as well as over-the-air television.
In addition to the local TV broadcasts, the Lightning and Scripps Sports will be introducing a new, direct-to-consumer experience where Bolts fans can livestream games within the Lightning app throughout the Bolts’ broadcast territory, powered by ViewLift. More details on the streaming experience will be made available prior to the start of the 2025-26 season.
“The Tampa Bay Lightning are one of the best teams in the NHL, and Bolts fans deserve easy access to all their games via cable, satellite, free over-the-air and streaming,” said Brian Lawlor, president of Scripps Sports. “The complement of broadcast television and streaming guarantees that fans can follow the games from their living room or wherever they are in their busy lives. We look forward to sharing many winning moments with one of the league’s most loyal fan bases.”
“We’re excited to announce Scripps Sports as the new media partner of the Tampa Bay Lightning,” said Vinik Sports Group CEO Steve Griggs. “A world-class fan experience starts with access — and fans have made it clear they want it to be easier to find and watch our games. This partnership delivers on that. We’re looking forward to working with Brian Lawlor and the Scripps Sports team to expand our reach and bring the excitement of Lightning hockey to more homes across Tampa Bay. We’re also incredibly grateful to Steve Tello and the FanDuel Sports team for their partnership and the many unforgettable moments we’ve shared.”
“We are honored to power the streaming experience for the Lightning and expand our support for the NHL and now seven of its teams,” said ViewLift CEO Rick Allen. “We will make it easy for Bolts fans to stream games through their existing Lightning mobile apps and new apps on far more devices, helping the Lightning bring on-ice action and behind-the-scenes information and experiences to fans of all ages, at home or on the move.”
In the NHL, Scripps Sports also has similar media rights agreements with the Vegas Golden Knights, Florida Panthers and Utah Mammoth.
