Nashville have done something no other NHL club has: put nearly the whole season on free television. Eighty-five Nashville Predators games — four preseason and 81 of the 84 regular-season games — air free over the air on The Spot, Nashville 28, under a multi-year deal with Scripps Sports. If you live in Middle Tennessee, a $20 antenna now covers almost every game.
Which channel are Predators games on?
WNPX-TV, channel 28, branded The Spot – Nashville 28. Selected games are also simulcast on WTVF NewsChannel 5, the Scripps CBS affiliate in Nashville — at least four of them this season. Both are free over the air, and both are carried by local cable and satellite providers as well.
Do I need a subscription?
No, not for the broadcast itself. That is the whole point of this deal. Scripps is also building a direct-to-consumer streaming app with ViewLift, launching on web, iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV and Android TV, for fans outside antenna range or who prefer to stream. Its price has not been announced and will come at launch.
Is every single game free?
Nearly. Eighty-one of 84 regular-season games are on The Spot. The remaining three are exclusive to the national broadcasters — ESPN, ABC or TNT — and are not carried locally. Locally produced first-round playoff games not taken nationally are also included in the Scripps deal.
What if I live outside Nashville?
The Predators’ territory runs across five states: Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia. Free over-the-air reception is limited to WNPX’s signal in Middle Tennessee; the rest of the footprint comes through Scripps partner stations and pay-TV carriage. Out-of-market fans need NHL Power Play through the ESPN app.
Who calls the games?
Willy Daunic on play-by-play, in his twelfth season, with Chris Mason on colour. Hal Gill is the studio analyst, Lyndsay Rowley hosts pregame and postgame, and Kara Hammer moves to full-time rinkside. Every local broadcast comes with a 30-minute pregame and postgame show. Radio stays on 102.5 The Game with Pete Weber at home and Max Herz on the road.
What changed from last season?
FanDuel Sports Network South is gone, and with it the need to buy anything at all. If you were paying for a cable package or the FanDuel app mainly to watch the Nashville Predators, you can now stop. That is a genuinely unusual outcome — every other club that lost FanDuel replaced it with something you still have to pay for.
| Local channel | The Spot – Nashville 28 (WNPX-TV), free over the air |
|---|---|
| Also on | WTVF NewsChannel 5 for at least four simulcasts |
| Price | Free over the air; streaming app price not announced |
| Games available locally | 85 — four preseason, 81 of 84 regular season |
| Blackout territory | Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia |
| Radio | 102.5 The Game — Pete Weber, Max Herz, Hal Gill, Brent Peterson |
| TV team | Willy Daunic, Chris Mason, Lyndsay Rowley, Kara Hammer |
| Opening night | Thu 1 October, home v Minnesota |
