The PWHL, in its fourth season of expansion, has finalized its inaugural season-long U.S. national broadcasting agreement with Scripps Sports, as announced by the women’s hockey league. This collaboration follows Scripps’ previous broadcasting of a limited number of regular-season games and the entire Walter Cup Finals playoff series last season, extending the PWHL’s reach to over 128 million U.S. households. The games will be aired on ION, Scripps’ national sports and entertainment network.
Scripps will produce and broadcast a weekly game every Saturday on ION, accessible through over-the-air channels, connected TV platforms, and various streaming and pay television services. Additionally, the Scripps Sports Network will air two national games weekly on platforms such as Roku, Prime Video, Fire TV, Google TV Freeplay, and Tubi. As part of the agreement, Scripps’ television affiliates in Detroit and Las Vegas will hold the local broadcasting rights for the two new expansion teams.
Amy Scheer, the PWHL’s executive vice-president of business operations, expressed excitement about the league’s extended national television presence in the U.S., marking a significant milestone in their growth. While the league is yet to release its schedule, the season is anticipated to commence in late November. The PWHL will continue to livestream all games on its YouTube channel worldwide, except in Canada, where it has existing broadcast affiliations, including with CBC Sports.
The partnership with Scripps originated during the Winter Games in Milan when the league hosted network executives, coinciding with the momentum of women’s hockey in the U.S. post the American team’s thrilling 2-1 overtime victory against Canada to secure their third Olympic gold medal. The PWHL, which has expanded to twelve teams since its 2024 inception by introducing four new teams this offseason, including franchises in San Jose, California, and Hamilton, Ontario, now comprises seven U.S. and five Canadian teams.
Scripps now includes the PWHL in its roster of women’s sports properties, alongside existing broadcast deals with the WNBA, NWSL, and the new Women’s TMRW Golf League. Brian Lawlor, Scripps Sports president, views this partnership as a testament to ION’s status as a premier platform for women’s sports, offering athletes a grand stage to showcase their abilities and fans a place to support their favorite teams. Scripps’ affiliates also hold broadcasting rights for various NHL teams, such as Florida and Las Vegas, the NBA’s Detroit Pistons, and the NCAA’s Big Sky Conference.
