PWHL lands first season-long US national broadcast deal with Scripps Sports for upcoming 4th year

The newly expanded PWHL enters its fourth season by securing its first season-long U.S. national broadcast deal with Scripps Sports, the women’s hockey league announced on Wednesday.

The agreement builds on Scripps’ decision to close last season broadcasting a select number of regular-season games followed by the entire Walter Cup Finals playoff series . And it opens the PWHL to reaching more than 128 million U.S. households, with games being aired on ION, Scripps’ national sports and entertainment network.

Scripps will produce and televise a game of the week each Saturday to be broadcast on ION, which is available over-the-air, connected TV platforms, and on streaming and pay television services. The Scripps Sports Network, meantime, will also broadcast two national games per week, and be available on numerous streaming platforms including 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 broadcast rights for the two yet-to-be-named expansion teams.

“A season-long national television presence in the U.S. is something we’ve been working toward and represents a significant step in our continued growth as a league,” PWHL executive vice president of business operations Amy Scheer said.

The PWHL has yet to release its schedule, with its season expected to open in late November.

The PWHL will continue streaming each of its games live on its YouTube channel in the U.S. and globally, with the exception of Canada, where the league has several broadcast affiliations.

The relationship with Scripps first blossomed when the league hosted network executives in Milan during the Winter Games in February. And the partnership carries over the momentum women’s hockey generated in the U.S. with the Americans claiming their third Olympic gold medal in a thrilling 2-1 overtime win against Canada.

The 12-team league has doubled in size since launching in 2024 by adding four expansion teams this offseason, including franchises in San Jose, California, and Hamilton, Ontario. The PWHL now features seven teams in the U.S. and five in Canada.

Scripps adds to its stable of women sports properties with broadcast deals already in place with the WNBA, NWSL, and the new Women’s TMRW Golf League.

“This partnership further demonstrates ION as the premier destination for women’s sports where athletes can showcase their talents on the biggest stage, and fans can discover their favorite team,” Scripps Sports president Brian Lawlor said.

Scripps’ affiliates also have broadcasting rights for several NHL teams, including Florida and Las Vegas, the NBA's Detroit Pistons and the NCAA’s Big Sky Conference.

See AP’s full women’s hockey coverage here