Scripps Sports announced a partnership with the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) to air the league’s first nationally televised game in the United States on its ION network. The broadcast will feature the New York Sirens against the Montréal Victoire and will air on Saturday, March 28, 2026, at 1 p.m. ET from Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena.
The deal marks a significant expansion of Scripps’ sports portfolio into professional women’s hockey, a segment that has seen rapid growth in the wake of the U.S. women’s team’s success at the 2026 Winter Olympics. The PWHL is in its third season, approaching two million all‑time fans and reporting a 20% year‑over‑year increase in average attendance. Ally Financial is the presenting sponsor for both the broadcast and the “Takeover Tour” game, underscoring the growing investment in women’s sports.
Scripps has positioned ION as a national platform for women’s sports, adding more WNBA and NWSL games than any other U.S. broadcaster. The partnership aligns with the company’s broader strategy to leverage sports rights to drive advertising revenue and enhance its connected‑TV distribution platform, which reaches more than 126 million U.S. households.
"The first‑ever national broadcast is a truly historic moment for our league. We are continuing to fuel this rocket ship that is the PWHL, as we expand the reach and exposure of our league to new fans," said Amy Scheer, PWHL Executive Vice President of Business Operations.
"With the Olympics, it became very clear that there’s a lot more interest in women’s hockey than just in the northern third of our country. We just felt in the last couple of weeks like the PWHL is having a moment and we’ll see what kind of traction they build off of this," added Brian Lawlor, President of Scripps Sports.
The broadcast is expected to attract a broad audience, leveraging ION’s extensive reach and the heightened interest in women’s hockey following the Olympic triumphs. The partnership positions Scripps to capture new advertising opportunities and strengthens its competitive edge in the growing women’s sports market.
The move also signals confidence in the PWHL’s continued expansion into the U.S. market, providing the league with a national platform that can drive fan engagement, sponsorship, and long‑term growth.
The partnership is a strategic milestone for both Scripps and the PWHL, reflecting the increasing visibility and commercial viability of professional women’s hockey in the United States.
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