Scripps beefs up sports offering with Tampa Bay Lightning games
As part of the distribution pact, Scripps will relaunch its Tamp Bay-area Ion station into a full-time independent in July.
The E. W. Scripps Company is bolstering its portfolio of locally-televised sports by partnering with the Tampa Bay Lightning to bring premium hockey to broadcast TV in Florida.
Starting with the 2025-26 season, Tampa Bay Lightning games will be free to watch on WXPX (Channel 66). Currently, the station offers programming from Ion, but Scripps said WXPX will convert to a full-time independent with sports and entertainment programming, plus news produced by sister-station WFTS (Channel 28, ABC).
A spokesperson for Scripps confirmed to The Desk that Ion programming will be distributed in high definition on a digital sub-channel of WXPX when the station relaunches as an independent outlet in July.