pwhl is headed to a national U. S. television audience for the first time, the league announced Thursday. The neutral-site “Takeover Tour” matchup between the New York Sirens and the Montreal Victoire will be broadcast on ION at 1 p. m. ET on March 28 from Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. The one-time agreement pairs the league with Scripps Sports and puts the game within reach of a broad national audience at a moment the league and its partners describe as a major inflection point.
National broadcast details and what is confirmed
The Professional Women’s Hockey League said its March 28 Detroit game between New York and Montreal will be the first pwhl contest accessible to a national U. S. television audience. The broadcast will air on ION, the E. W. Scripps Company’s sports and entertainment network, through an arrangement with Scripps Sports. The league said the game will be accessible to more than 126 million U. S. households, describing the telecast in its release as a “landmark moment in the league’s development” and an opening for new fans to discover the league.
The league framed the arrangement as a one-time deal that could develop into something longer-term. Scripps is available free over the air and also on pay and connected TV, along with ad-supported streaming platforms. The agreement also involves Detroit-based Ally Financial, identified by the league as the “Takeover Tour” game’s primary sponsor.
Pwhl and Scripps Sports push for momentum after the Olympics
League executive vice president of business operations Amy Scheer called the national telecast a historic step for visibility and growth.
“The first-ever national broadcast is a truly historic moment for our league, ” Scheer said in a release. “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. ”
In a separate comment on the scale of the audience, Scheer said: “To have Scripps and ION come in and put our game out to 120-plus million people is huge. The more people we reach — that’s only going to help our league grow and succeed. ”
Scripps Sports president Brian Lawlor said he has tracked the league closely over three seasons and pointed to a spike in attention around women’s hockey. “We have been able to identify the moments where it’s time to build and invest. And then we want to satisfy. There’s such an interest in women’s hockey right now, ” Lawlor said. “We want to partner with the league and build on it. And this is the first step to that. ”
U. S. media gap, Canada coverage, and the expansion backdrop
In Canada, national broadcast rights for all 120 PWHL games this season are split between TSN, Sportsnet, CBC and Prime Video. In the United States, games have generally been shown through local and regional outlets in the league’s U. S. markets and on YouTube nationwide, but the league does not have a national U. S. media rights deal in its third season—making the March 28 ION broadcast a notable first.
The Detroit game also lands as the league evaluates growth beyond its current footprint. The eight-team league is planning to expand by as many as four teams next season, and Scheer said she can envision Scripps becoming the league’s U. S. national broadcaster.
What comes next after March 28
The March 28 “Takeover Tour” stop in Detroit is now positioned as a test of national demand and a signal to potential partners. Scheer said the league has been in talks with Scripps for several years and that the Detroit agreement came together during discussions in Milan, adding: “It just motivates you to want to do more. I think this is the perfect time for us to have this game on ION, and we’ll see what comes of it. ”
If the national window delivers the audience both sides are targeting, the next storyline will be whether a broader U. S. package follows—and whether the pwhl can turn a one-time spotlight into a sustained national presence.
