On March 12, RBR+TVBR first shared the news that The E.W. Scripps Co. unit led by Brian Lawlor and digital financial services company Ally have come together to present the first nationally televised Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) game.
Now, the PWHL and Scripps Sports have a deal in hand to bring the league’s championship series to national linear television in the U.S. for the first time.
The PWHL Walter Cup Finals, presented by Scotiabank, have been accessible to TV viewers in Canada via the TSN and RDS cable TV channels and the Bell Media properties’ digital platforms, as well as via Prime Video. Now, one can tune to Ion Networks to a pair of best-of-five semifinals and, after that, a best-of-five finals.
“The PWHL Walter Cup Finals are built for this kind of stage, and their debut on national television in the U.S. is another meaningful step in making our game easier to find and follow,” said Amy Scheer, Executive VP of Business Operations for the PWHL. “Scripps Sports has shown a true commitment to showing up for women’s sports in a tangible way, and this partnership is another example of that in action.”
Official game dates will be announced once the final teams are confirmed, with the championship series scheduled for May.
“Coming off the electric energy of the Winter Olympics, where we watched Team USA capture gold in an unforgettable overtime thriller, Americans are hungry for more world-class women’s hockey. Fans shouldn’t have to wait another four years to experience this level of passion, skill and drama, so we’re keeping the momentum going by bringing the PWHL Walter Cup Finals to ION’s massive distribution platform,” said Scripps President/CEO Adam Symson. “At Scripps, we believe women’s sports deserve a national stage, and together with our league partners, we’re building one. We’re proud to add the Professional Women’s Hockey League to the Scripps Sports lineup.”