Florida Panthers, Scripps Sports will locally broadcast NHL games in SW Florida

The Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers have signed a multi-year agreement with Scripps Sports to locally broadcast Panthers hockey free for residents of the Miami/Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and Fort Myers areas, and the surrounding communities throughout Southwest Florida.

Specifically:

• In the Miami-Fort Lauderdale market , all locally produced games will air on WSFL-TV, ch 39.
  
• In the West Palm Beach market , all locally produced games will air on WHDT-TV, ch 9.
  
• In the Fort Myers-Cape Coral-Naples market , where the E.W. Scripps Company owns WFTX-TV on ch 36, Scripps Sports will announce the specific broadcast channel in advance of next season.
  

Under this new agreement, The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP) has the ability to televise all locally produced Panthers preseason, regular-season and round one games of the postseason with distribution on cable, satellite and over-the-air television, becoming the new home on television of Florida Panthers hockey. Financial terms will not be disclosed. The deal has obtained the necessary approvals from the National Hockey League.

“After back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances and celebrating 30 years of Panthers Hockey in South Florida, we could not be more excited about the future of our hockey team. Scripps’ distribution network and accessibility makes them the ideal partner to stream and carry Panthers content on and off the ice,” said Panthers President and CEO Matthew Caldwell.

Wilfredo Lee/AP

“Panthers content will be available for free over the air and we are thrilled about the new homes this will reach as we continue to grow our great sport," Caldwell said.

Scripps Sports and the Panthers will collaborate to launch a team-branded direct-to-consumer application with details to be announced prior to the 2024-2025 season. This direct-to-consumer application will be the destination for live streaming of all Scripps Sports-produced games throughout the team’s territory in South Florida. Additional details will follow.

Scripps Sports, which is now home to the last two Stanley Cup champions, will be responsible for the production of the pregame, in-game and postgame shows. Scripps Sports and the Panthers will partner to co-produce a weekly Panthers program that showcases the team, its players and the organization beyond the ice.

“The Florida Panthers are the best team in the NHL, and their fans deserve to be able to see all of their games on every available broadcast platform, including free over-the-air,” said Brian Lawlor, Scripps Sports president.

“When the Stanley Cup champions take the ice in October, Scripps Sports will be proud to bring all locally broadcast games to all the Panthers fans in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Fort Myers areas, using our powerful over-the-air TV stations," Lawlor said.

Full information regarding on-air talent and programming on Scripps will follow in the coming weeks.

WFTX FOX 4 and Scripps Sports are owned by the E.W. Scripps Company, a Fortune 1000 American media company focused on creating a better-informed world.