TAMPA BAY – The Tampa Bay Lightning and Scripps Sports announced today where game broadcasts will be available for the 2025-26 season. New, expanded Bolts broadcasts will now be available to all households in Tampa Bay via over-the-air, cable or streaming through the Lightning app. Games will also be available via local broadcast in markets outside Tampa Bay, including Orlando, Gainesville, Tallahassee and Pensacola. Meanwhile, fans anywhere in the Lightning broadcast territory will be able to watch via subscription on the team streaming platform for less than a dollar per game, as part of the team’s push to put accessibility at the forefront of its distribution strategy
Scripps, which owns Tampa Bay 28, the local ABC TV affiliate serving the Tampa Bay television market, has launched The Spot – Tampa Bay 66, a second full-power local station serving the Tampa-St. Petersburg area, which will be the main broadcast home of the Lightning. The station features news and entertainment programming in addition to all locally produced Lightning games and other programming. For the latest information, and to find out where they can find The Spot, fans can visit www.TampaBayLightning.com/HowtoWatch.
Fans are highly encouraged to bookmark this site and learn more about all of the various options to consume Lightning games in this new era of accessibility. Over-the-air how-to-watch videos, channel listings for cable and virtual bundle subscribers, and streaming platform sign-up information are all available through this explanatory website page.
Scripps Sports will produce all game broadcasts, including pre- and post-game shows. Lightning fans will continue to see the familiar broadcast team of Dave Randorf on play-by-play, Brian Engblom serving as color analyst and Gabby Shirley reporting rinkside. Paul Kennedy returns as studio host, while Dave Andreychuk, Braydon Coburn and Adam Hall return as analysts alongside newcomers Pat Maroon and Ryan Malone. Scripps will also produce local pre-game shows on nights even when the game is a national exclusive in order to provide local, Lightning-focused analysis.
In addition, viewers will see significant investments into the broadcasts, including new elements with the pre-game show. A new studio demonstration area, fan interactions on Ford Thunder Alley, an expanded talent roster, more digital fan integration, new intermission and post-game studio locations highlight some of these robust changes. Scripps Sports and the Lightning will also air Emmy Award-winning original content like Recharge, Bolts Beginnings and more that will give fans unique visibility into the team and players on and off the ice.
In addition to the linear TV broadcasts, the Lightning and Scripps Sports will be introducing an innovative new experience where Bolts fans can live-stream games through the existing Lightning app throughout the Bolts’ broadcast territory, powered by ViewLift. This streaming, direct-to-consumer product will be available at just $66 for the season for less than a dollar per game. Fans are encouraged to subscribe through their computer or mobile app for ease of sign-up, but the app can also be downloaded on smart TV platforms such as Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, and more.
For the first time, the Lightning will be broadcasting all of the team’s seven preseason games, with the final five in partnership with Scripps, to get fans ready for the regular season. Tampa Bay’s first two games, Sept. 22 at Carolina and Sept. 23 at Nashville, will be available exclusively via streaming on www.TampaBayLightning.com. Scripps Sports will carry the remainder of the preseason slate as the new full distribution platform is rolled out with games including: Sept. 26 vs. Carolina, Sept. 27 vs. Nashville, Sept. 30 vs. Florida at Kia Center in Orlando, Oct. 2 vs. Florida and Oct. 4 at Florida.
Additional outer market broadcast partners across northern Florida will be announced in the months and years ahead.
