Florida Panthers fans in South Florida can rejoice as Scripps Sports and the Stanley Cup-champion team have reached a multiyear agreement to broadcast Panthers hockey games for free to residents of West Palm Beach, Miami/Fort Lauderdale, and Fort Myers.
Starting this fall, West Palm Beach residents can catch all locally produced games on WHDT-TV, Channel 9, while Miami/Fort Lauderdale viewers can tune in to WSFL-TV, Channel 39. For Fort Myers, the broadcast channel will be announced before next season.
This partnership between Scripps Sports and the Panthers is a huge step forward for ice hockey fans in South Florida. Scripps Sports now has the ability to televise all locally produced Panthers games, including preseason, regular season, and round one games of the postseason. They will be the new home on television for Florida Panthers hockey.
Panthers President and CEO Matthew Caldwell expressed excitement about the partnership, especially after the team’s recent Stanley Cup Final appearances and 30 years of playing in South Florida. “We are thrilled to partner with Scripps Sports to bring our fans even more access to our team both on and off the ice,” Caldwell said. “We look forward to working together to create exciting new content that will keep our fans engaged.”
In addition to broadcasting games, Scripps Sports and the Panthers will launch a team-branded direct-to-consumer application and co-produce a weekly Panthers program. This collaboration aims to provide fans with more access to the team both on and off the ice.
Scripps Sports president Brian Lawlor emphasized the importance of making all locally broadcast games available to Panthers fans on various platforms, including free over-the-air TV. “We are committed to providing our audiences with high-quality content that they can enjoy wherever they are,” Lawlor said. “We believe this partnership with the Florida Panthers is a great example of how we can work together to bring exciting new experiences to our viewers.”
