The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) has reached a broadcast agreement with the E.W. Scripps Company to air regular-season and playoff games during the upcoming season.
Scripps Sports will produce a weekly “Game of the Week” on Saturdays, airing free on the broadcast network ION. Scripps Sports also will produce two games each week that will stream free on platforms including The Roku Channel, Samsung TV Plus, Prime Video, Fire TV, Google TV Freeplay, Tubi and other major streaming services.
As part of the agreement, Scripps’ local stations in Detroit (WMYD-TV, The Spot Detroit 20) and Las Vegas (KMCC-TV, The Spot Vegas 34) will become local broadcast partners for the league’s expansion teams in those markets.
ION will serve as the exclusive U.S. home for the league’s Walter Cup Finals.
“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,” said Amy Scheer, PWHL executive vice president of business operations. “Scripps continues to be a committed partner in shining a spotlight on women’s sports, and for the first time, our American fans will have the opportunity to follow the league on national television throughout an entire season, making the PWHL more accessible than ever before.”
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Scripps Sports is no stranger to top-level women’s sports. The network also has established broadcast partnerships with the WNBA and NWSL.
“Women’s sports are a cornerstone of our mission to create meaningful connections between communities and the sports and teams they love,” said Brian Lawlor, president of Scripps Sports. “This partnership further establishes ION as a premier destination for women’s sports, where athletes can showcase their talents on the biggest stage and fans can discover their next favorite team.”
The PWHL experienced explosive growth during the 2025-26 season. The league averaged 9,304 fans per game, a 28% increase from the 2024-25 season.
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The league also reported a more than 50% increase in merchandise sales compared with the previous year.
The league received another boost in attention as many of its stars competed in the Olympics, where Team USA defeated Canada in the gold medal game.
