Tampa Bay Lightning games are free over the air this season. Seventy of the 84 regular-season games air on The Spot — Tampa Bay 66, on WXPX-TV, at no cost with an antenna. If you would rather stream them, the Lightning’s own season pass is $66 for the whole year — the cheapest local option in the NHL, and less than most clubs charge for four months.
Which channel are Lightning games on?
WXPX-TV, channel 66, branded The Spot — Tampa Bay 66 and operated by Scripps Sports. It is free over the air across the Tampa Bay region and is carried on the local cable and satellite line-ups as well. Note the call letters: the station is WXPX, not WXTP.
How many Lightning games are free?
Seventy of the 84 regular-season games. The remaining 14 are exclusive to ESPN, ABC or TNT and are not shown locally. That is the highest free-to-air count of any club in Florida.
What does the Lightning streaming pass cost?
$66 for the season, through the Lightning app and TBLightning.tv. There is no monthly tier and no cable login. It carries the same broadcasts as the over-the-air channel, so it is for fans inside the territory who cannot get a clean signal or who watch on a phone.
Am I in-market?
The Lightning territory covers the Tampa Bay region and much of central Florida. Scripps has not published a county map for either Florida club, so if you live between the two markets the safest check is whether the channel appears in your provider’s line-up before you buy anything. Out-of-market fans need NHL Power Play through the ESPN app.
Who calls the games?
Radio is the constant here: Dave Mishkin calls the games on 102.5 The Bone, with Phil Esposito alongside him — one of the longest-running pairings in the league. Mishkin’s call is also the one most Lightning fans know from highlight packages.
What changed from last season?
FanDuel Sports Network Sun is gone, and the replacement costs nothing. A Lightning fan who was paying for a cable package or the FanDuel app to watch this team can now watch 70 games with a $20 antenna. The trade-off is that the 14 national games are no longer bundled in with a local subscription.
When do the Lightning open?
Thursday 1 October, away at the New York Rangers. The home opener follows at Benchmark International Arena.
| Local channel | The Spot — Tampa Bay 66 (WXPX-TV), free over the air |
|---|---|
| Free over the air | Yes |
| Games available locally | 70 of 84 |
| Streaming | Lightning app and TBLightning.tv |
| Price | $66 for the season, or free with an antenna |
| Blackout territory | Tampa Bay and central Florida; no county map published |
| Radio | 102.5 The Bone — Dave Mishkin, Phil Esposito |
| National TV games | 14 |
| Opening night | Thu 1 October, at NY Rangers |
Last verified 7 September 2026. Prices and carriage change — see our guide to watching every NHL team in 2026-27 for the national packages and how blackouts work.
