Florida Panthers games to be televised to EW Scripps local radio station | Wilnesh News

The Florida Panthers are skating to a new television home.

National Hockey League Stanley Cup Champion inked An agreement was reached to air regular season games on local broadcast networks in Florida, abandoning the cable regional sports networks that have long been their home.

The Panthers, who have reached the Stanley Cup Finals for the second consecutive year and EW Scripps This allows the radio station owner to broadcast all locally produced Panthers preseason and regular season and first-round playoff games.

The Panthers are also partnering with Scripps Sports to launch a streaming service, with more details expected before the start of the 2024 season.

Terms of the deal, which will begin next season, have not been disclosed.

Regional sports network business has been weighed down by consumers abandoning pay-TV packages in favor of streaming, with professional sports teams increasingly opting to strike deals with local radio station owners.

Specifically Diamond Sports Group, owner of the Panthers previously Television anchor Bally Sports Florida has been under bankruptcy protection since March 2023.

“After careful review and dialogue, Diamond and the Florida Panthers have reached a mutual agreement to terminate our existing television rights contract,” a Diamond spokesperson said in a statement. “We take our relationship with the Panthers and their team very seriously.” fan relationships and we wish them all the best. We remain in productive discussions with the NHL regarding the remaining team partners in the contract moving forward and are focused on restructuring as one team.

Since filing for bankruptcy, Diamond Sports has terminated numerous contracts with professional sports teams that have found new homes on broadcast networks.

It has developed into a major moment of change for the industry. The business model of regional sports networks has long been profitable for leagues and teams because networks pay top dollar for the rights to broadcast games that are not broadcast nationally.

These deals with radio station owners are expected to significantly increase reach and audience. The game is now available on the broadcast network to all pay-TV subscribers and free for those with an antenna.

However, while the terms of those deals have not been disclosed, they are unlikely to secure contracts of the same size as regional sports networks. The Panthers have It is said In 2022, they signed a contract extension with Bally Sports Florida, doubling the value of the team’s previous 10-year deal (about $6 million per year).

Last year, Scripps sign A similar agreement was reached with the 2023 Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights.

Meanwhile, games between the National Basketball Association’s Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz were also aired on local radio stations. With the traditional RSN business under considerable pressure, various radio station owners have shown interest in becoming a home for professional sports.

There may be more opportunities as Diamond Sports continues to work its way out of bankruptcy.

Last month, the league expressed concerns about the future of Diamond Sports and whether it would be able to develop a viable business plan ahead of the upcoming season. Diamond Sports returns to bankruptcy court later this month to seek approval of its reorganization plan.