US Trends

what channel is the lightning game on

Tonight’s Tampa Bay Lightning games are typically on a mix of national sports networks and local/regional partners, depending on where you live and which matchup it is.

Quick Scoop

For the 2025–26 season, Lightning broadcasts are carried in a few main ways:

  • Nationally on ESPN, ABC, and TNT for select games (especially big matchups and many Thursday nights).
  • Via NHL Power Play on ESPN+ for many out‑of‑market regular season games.
  • On regional outlets: historically Bally Sports Sun, but now also Scripps Sports and “The Spot” in the Tampa Bay area, depending on your cable provider.
  • Through the official Tampa Bay Lightning app as a paid streaming option within the Bolts’ local territory.

Because the specific channel number changes by provider and city, the fastest way to know “what channel is the Lightning game on” for tonight is to:

  1. Check a live Lightning TV schedule site or your TV guide for today’s listing (search for “Tampa Bay Lightning tv schedule today” or use your cable box guide).
  1. Look up the national network (ESPN/ABC/TNT) in your provider’s channel lineup, or the local sports channel branded as Bally Sports Sun, Scripps Sports, or “The Spot” (often a channel in the teens or 1000s on Spectrum, like 17 or 1017, depending on the market).
  1. If you’re out of market, open ESPN+ and look under NHL / NHL Power Play for the Lightning game stream.

One concrete example

For a recent Panthers vs. Lightning game on February 5, 2026, the matchup was carried on ESPN+ in the U.S. at 7:30 p.m. ET, rather than a traditional cable channel. That’s a good illustration of how many Lightning games now show up more as a stream (ESPN+, NHL Power Play, team app) than a single fixed cable channel.

If you tell me your TV provider and city (e.g., “Spectrum in Tampa” or “Xfinity in Orlando”) and the date of the game you mean, I can help you narrow down the exact network and how to find it in your lineup using current listings.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.