Fresh off their decision to exit Bally Sports for a local broadcast TV deal with Scripps Sports back in June, the NHL's defending Stanley Cup champion, the Florida Panthers, have announced a deal with OTT tech vendor ViewLift to take their games direct-to-consumer.
Scripps Sports will broadcast Panthers games on local stations WSFL (channel 39), WHDT (9) and a to-be-announced Fort Myers station.
And ViewLift will create an app-based subscription DTC platform for fans to stream Panthers games, just as it has for the NHL's Vegas Golden Knights and Washington Capitals.
It's a hybrid playbook many professional sports franchises are following amid the collapse of regional sports networks.
Also read: Everything You Need To Know About the Bally Sports Bankruptcy
"Our goal is to increase accessibility and ensure that all Panthers fans have access anytime and anywhere to view our games, and with Scripps Sports' and ViewLift's expertise, we're confident our new distribution will do just that," said Mark Zarthar, chief strategy officer for the Panthers, in a statement.
Diamond Sports Group, the Sinclair Broadcast Group subsidiary that manages the Bally Sports regional sports network, is still in a protracted bankruptcy restructuring process and fighting to avoid liquidation.
The Panthers are among several NHL teams that have recently left Bally Sports amid the flux of restructuring, with the Dallas Stars also leaving their Bally channel in July.
