Ally and Scripps Sports Partner with PWHL to Deliver First-Ever Nationally Televised Game in U.S.
Published on March 12, 2026 under Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) News Release
NEW YORK and TORONTO (March 12, 2026) - Ally Financial (NYSE: ALLY) and Scripps Sports are teaming up with the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) to broadcast its first-ever game on national linear television in the United States. The PWHL Takeover Tour© game between the New York Sirens and the Montréal Victoire will air on ION, The E.W. Scripps Company's (NASDAQ: SSP) national sports and entertainment network, Saturday, March 28, at 1 p.m. ET, live from Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
Through ION - which is available free over-the-air, via pay TV, connected TV and free, ad-supported streaming platforms - the game will be accessible to more than 126 million U.S. households, representing a landmark moment in the league's development and a significant opportunity for new fans to discover the league.
The first-ever national broadcast comes at a time of unprecedented momentum for the PWHL. Now in its third season, the league is approaching two million all-time fans and seeing a 20% year-over-year increase in average attendance. That momentum is further fueled by the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, where 61 PWHL players competed and returned with 41 medals, including Team USA's dramatic overtime gold medal victory over Canada. As the league expands its reach through major events like the 16-game Takeover Tour and additional broadcast opportunities in 2025-26, the PWHL continues to drive unprecedented growth in women's hockey.
Ally is the presenting sponsor of both the historic telecast and the Takeover Tour game itself. The company has established a track record of game-changing investments in women's sports, delivering on its unprecedented 50/50 media equity pledge and intentionally expanding its sponsorship portfolio. Highlights include:
Moving the NWSL Championship game to primetime broadcast for the first time ever (2022).
Launching the Ally Tipoff, a premier early-season women's college basketball event (2023).
Elevating the purse for the U.S. Women's Open to the highest ever for women's golf (2024).
Committing early as the first founding partner of Unrivaled, the professional women's 3-on-3 basketball league (2025, play began).
Being the first broadcaster to bring the PWHL to a national audience is the latest addition to the commitment of Scripps Sports and its national broadcast network ION. In 2023, Scripps Sports made a promise to make it easier to be a women's sports fan in America. Since that time, Scripps Sports was the first:
To create dedicated franchise nights for both the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).
To present weekly national doubleheaders for the WNBA (Friday Nights) and NWSL (Saturday Nights).
To launch dedicated studio shows supporting both leagues.
Currently, ION broadcasts more WNBA games and more NWSL matches than any other national broadcaster, along with Athlos 2026 and the Major League Volleyball Championships this coming May.
ION is available via pay TV, connected TV and free, ad-supported streaming platforms and free over-the-air. For more information on how to watch ION, visit iontelevision.com.
WPP Media helped facilitate and negotiate the partnership. The company has collaborated with Ally across various initiatives to help amplify the brand's commitment to women's sports, supporting increased visibility and investment in women's leagues and athletes.
QUOTES
"Fan interest in women's hockey is at an all-time high, buoyed by the amazing success of Team USA in this year's Winter Olympics Games," said Brian Lawlor, president of Scripps Sports. "We are thrilled to be teaming with the PWHL and Ally Financial on this milestone event and to bring the excitement of this league to a national audience for the first time."
"At Ally, we believe in deeds, not words. When you give women's sports the platform they deserve, fans show up, players show out, and the entire ecosystem benefits," said Andrea Brimmer, Ally's Chief Marketing and Public Relations Officer. "Our 50/50 pledge has always been about equal opportunities for women's sports in media. Delivering this historic PWHL broadcast with Scripps is the next step in elevating world-class athletes and giving fans unprecedented access. And doing it from our hometown of Detroit makes it even sweeter."
"We are continuing to fuel this rocket ship that is the PWHL as we expand the reach and exposure of our league to new fans," said Amy Scheer, PWHL Executive Vice President of Business Operations. "This first-ever national broadcast is a truly historic moment for our league, and with partners like Ally Financial and Scripps Sports, we're introducing more people to our fast-paced and exciting game than ever before."
Professional Women's Hockey League Stories from March 12, 2026
- Ally and Scripps Sports Partner with PWHL to Deliver First-Ever Nationally Televised Game in U.S. - PWHL
- Seattle Scores Two Late Goals to Overtake First Place Boston - Boston Fleet
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