The Lightning officially drop the puck on the 2026-27 season Thursday night with a matchup against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden.
Unless you’re making the trip up to catch the Bolts at The Church That Swift Built, you’re likely watching the game from home. Which is why we’re here to give you the rundown on every possible way to watch the Lightning throughout the regular season.
For the second consecutive season, the Lightning have teamed up with Scripps Sports to make Bolts broadcasts available to everyone across the Bay Area and beyond. Fans will have a number of ways to watch, including free over-the-air (with an HD antenna) as well as through cable and satellite. You can also opt for a digital streaming subscription on the Tampa Bay Lightning app. Here’s a breakdown of how the local market can tune into Bolts games going forward.
Over-the-Air
Scripps’ The Spot: WXTP-TV Channel 66.1
Antennas look a lot different in 2026. Now, it’s easier. (Unless you’re the kind of hopeless romantic who prefers the vintage rust rods.)
For the same price as a pizza delivery, you can purchase a sleek, HD TV antenna that will deliver picture-perfect Bolts hockey on Scripps’ The Spot: WXTP-TV Channel 66.1 in Tampa Bay (the channel varies by market).
There’s plenty of HD antennas out there, but here’s a few good options to get started:
Channel Master Flatenna 35/Duo, $35
Mohu Leaf Indoor HD TV Antenna, $35
Cable
Scripps’ The Spot: Tampa Bay 66
If you’re a tried-and-true cable watcher, the Bolts will be there for every game broadcasted in the local market. Scripps, which owns Tampa Bay 28, the local ABC TV affiliate serving the bay area tv market, is back with The Spot as the main broadcast home of the Lightning for Tampa Bay.
Here’s the channel breakdown for The Spot for each provider in the Tampa Bay area. If you're outside the Tampa Bay market, you can scroll down to the bottom of this article for the full market guide.
DirectTV: 66
DirectTV Stream: 66
Charter/Spectrum: 17
Frontier: 23
Summit Broadband: 9
Advanced Cable (Blue Stream): 5
Streaming
The Tampa Bay Lightning App
Just like last season, fans can now live-stream games through the Tampa Bay Lightning app throughout the Bolts’ broadcast territory for $66/season. That’s less than a dollar a game if you’re counting. You can subscribe on your computer at TampaBayLightning.com/streamnow or mobile app for ease of sign-up, but the app can also be downloaded right on your Smart TV. Once downloaded, you open it just like Netflix, Peacock or any other app you might watch, and the game will be there waiting.
The Lightning App is available on:
IOS
Android
Fire TV
Google Play Store
Apple TV
Roku
National Broadcast
14 Lightning games will be national broadcasts televised by TNT and the ESPN/ABC family of networks this season.
Tampa Bay’s national primetime slate is stacked with Atlantic Division matchups, featuring two clashes with the cross-state rival Panthers, three more with Stadium Series foes the Boston Bruins, and a can’t-miss Round 1 rematch with the Montreal Canadiens.
Tue, Oct. 20 at Vegas, ESPN, 10:30 p.m.
Wed., Nov. 11 at Buffalo, TNT, 7
Tue., Nov. 17 vs. Washington, ESPN+/Disney+/Hulu, 7:30
Thu., Nov. 19 vs. Edmonton, ESPN+/Disney+/Hulu, 7:30
Wed., Nov. 25 vs. Carolina, TNT, 7
Wed., Dec. 2 at Montreal, TNT, 7:30
Tue., Dec. 22 vs. St. Louis, TNT, 7
Mon., Jan. 18 at Boston, TNT, 1:30
Wed., Feb. 3 at Philadelphia, TNT, 7:30
Thu., Feb. 16 vs. Florida, ESPN+/Disney+/Hulu, 7
Tue., March 23 vs. Florida, TNT, 7
Thu., March 25 vs. Philadelphia, ESPN, 6:30 p.m.
Sat., April 3 at Boston, ABC, 3 p.m.
Sat., April 10 vs. Boston, ABC, 8 p.m.
Full Market Watch Guide
Lightning fans in Florida can also watch and stream the Bolts beyond Tampa Bay. Below you can find the broadcast and stream information for every local market in Florida, including Orlando, Gainesville, Tallahassee and more.
