Florida Panthers Ink Localized Broadcast Agreement With Scripps Sports; Deal Includes Forthcoming DTC Platform

Another franchise in the National Hockey League is taking their broadcast rights locally. The Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers have signed a multi-year agreement with Scripps Sports to broadcast games for free for residents of Miami/Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and Fort Myers.

Under this new agreement, The E.W. Scripps Company 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. The specifics state that all locally produced games will air on WSFL-TV/Channel 39 in Miami/Fort Lauderdale, on WHDT-TV/Channel 9 in West Palm Beach, and a to-be-announced channel in Fort Myers.

“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,” says Panthers President and CEO Matthew Caldwell. “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.”

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,” says 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 Miami/Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Fort Myers using our powerful over-the-air TV stations.”