The PWHL will see the Walter Cup finals broadcast nationally on Scripps Sports' ION network, brining national broadcast for the PWHL playoffs to the United States for the first time.
Only days after announcing the league would have their first ever game broadcast nationally in the United States on Scripps' ION, the PWHL announced a larger commitment from Scripps Sports as the network will broadcast the Walter Cup finals this May on linear television as well.
The games will again broadcast on ION, which is distributed to 126 million households in the United States.
“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," said Scripps President and CEO Adam Symson. "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."
ION already broadcasts WNBA and NWSL games.
The Walter Cup final is a best of five. The top four teams from the PWHL regular season play off in the semifinals setting up the 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, PWHL Executive Vice President of Business Operations. “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.”