The PWHL, in its fourth season, has signed a season-long national broadcast deal with Scripps Sports, marking its first such agreement with a U.S. network. This collaboration builds on Scripps’ previous coverage of select regular-season games and the Walter Cup Finals playoff series. The deal will allow the PWHL to reach over 128 million U.S. households through broadcasts on ION, Scripps’ national sports and entertainment network.
Under the agreement, Scripps will produce and air a game of the week every Saturday on ION, available on various platforms including over-the-air, connected TV, streaming services, and pay television. Additionally, the Scripps Sports Network will broadcast two national games weekly, accessible on popular streaming platforms such as Roku, Prime Video, Fire TV, Google TV Freeplay, and Tubi.
As part of the deal, Scripps’ television affiliates in Detroit and Las Vegas will have the local broadcast rights for two new expansion teams that are yet to be named. Amy Scheer, the PWHL’s executive vice-president of business operations, expressed excitement about the league’s national TV presence, emphasizing its importance for the league’s growth.
While the PWHL has not released its schedule yet, the season is expected to commence in late November. The league will continue live streaming all games on its YouTube channel globally, except in Canada where it has existing broadcast agreements, including with CBC Sports.
The partnership between PWHL and Scripps began during the Winter Games in Milan, where network executives were hosted. This collaboration follows the success of women’s hockey in the U.S., highlighted by the American team’s third Olympic gold medal victory over Canada. The PWHL, which has grown to 12 teams since its 2024 launch, recently added four expansion teams, including franchises in San Jose, California, and Hamilton, Ontario.
Scripps Sports, already involved in women’s sports broadcasting with deals in the WNBA, NWSL, and the Women’s TMRW Golf League, sees this partnership as a way to promote women’s sports on ION. Brian Lawlor, Scripps Sports president, views ION as the top platform for women’s sports, providing athletes the chance to shine and fans to support their favorite teams. Additionally, Scripps’ affiliates have broadcasting rights for various NHL, NBA, and NCAA teams, further solidifying their sports coverage portfolio.
