ST. PETERSBURG, FLA. — The National Hockey League franchise serving the Tampa-St. Petersburg market will soon be bringing its telecasts to broadcast TV, following the lead of its in-state rivals, the Florida Panthers, and two NHL teams in the Western U.S.
The Tampa Bay Lightning have entered into a multi-year media rights agreement with Scripps Sports, with over-the-air coverage of the team coming with the 2025-2026 season.
The new agreement shifts games from FanDuel Sports Network and allows The E.W. Scripps Company to produce and distribute all preseason, regular season and first-round playoff Lightning games that are not allocated exclusively to national broadcasts.
Where will be games air? On a whole new TV station, as Scripps plans to launch WXPX-TV as “The Spot — Tampa Bay 66.” A former Paxson station, WXPX is presently the Ion-affiliated property for the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Lakeland-Sarasota-Sebring DMA and is licensed to Bradenton.
Launching new stations isn’t new for Scripps, as WHDT-9 in West Palm Beach — that DMA’s home for Florida Panthers games — is a new property still finding its way toward building a strong identity. A similar situation will likely unfold in the Tampa DMA, where TEGNA’s WTSP-10 has been a visible supporter of the Lightning in the recent past.
For Scripps, WXPX will relaunch on July 1 with general news and entertainment programming in addition to all locally produced Lightning games.
What does this mean for adjacent markets that are within the Lightning’s territory? “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,” it said. This would include Orlando, Fort Myers-Naples and Gainesville-Ocala; it is not clear if Jacksonville and West Palm Beach or other Florida markets outside of Miami-Fort Lauderdale will get Lightning telecasts over-the-air.
In addition to the local TV broadcasts, the Lightning and Scripps Sports will debut a new, direct-to-consumer experience where one can livestream games within the Lightning app throughout the Bolts’ broadcast territory, powered by ViewLift.
Further 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.”
Scripps Sports also has similar media rights agreements with the Las Vegas Golden Knights, and the newly named Utah Mammoth.
