ALLY AND SCRIPPS SPORTS PARTNER WITH PWHL TO DELIVER FIRST-EVER NATIONALLY TELEVISED GAME IN U.S.

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.”

About Ally Financial

Ally Financial Inc. (NYSE: ALLY) is a financial services company with the nation’s largest all-digital bank and an industry-leading auto financing business, driven by a mission to “Do It Right” and be a relentless ally for customers and communities. The company serves customers with deposits and securities brokerage and investment advisory services as well as auto financing and insurance offerings. The company also includes a seasoned corporate finance business that offers capital for equity sponsors and middle-market companies. For more information, please visit www.ally.com.

For more information and disclosures about Ally, visit https://www.ally.com/#disclosures.

For further images and news on Ally, please visit http://media.ally.com.

About Scripps Sports / ION

About Scripps Sports
Scripps Sports serves professional and college sports leagues, conferences and teams with local market depth and national broadcast reach. Scripps Sports currently has partnerships with the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL), Major League Volleyball (MLV), Pro Cheer League (PCL), ATHLOS track-and-field, the National Hockey League’s (NHL) 2020 and 2021 Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning, 2024 and 2025 Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, 2023 Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights, the Utah Mammoth, the Las Vegas Aces of the WNBA, Denver Summit FC of the NWSL and the NCAA’s Big Sky Conference. Scripps Sports is owned by The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP).

About ION
A leading general entertainment and sports network, ION’s lineup features major cable and broadcast shows, original series, live sports and special event programming. ION is part of The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP), a diversified media company focused on creating connection. As one of the nation’s largest local TV broadcasters, Scripps serves communities with quality, objective local journalism and operates a portfolio of about 60 stations in 40 markets.

About the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL)

The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America that features the best women’s players in the world. It is comprised of eight teams: Boston, Minnesota, Montréal, New York, Ottawa, Seattle, Toronto and Vancouver. Launched on January 1, 2024, the PWHL has broken multiple attendance records and holds the worldwide all-time record for a women’s hockey game. The league was recognized by Sports Business Journal as the Sports Breakthrough of the Year, and ranked No. 1 in Canada for corporate reputation in both 2024 and 2025, according to the Harris Poll. Visit thepwhl.com to purchase tickets and merchandise, and subscribe to the PWHL e-newsletter for the latest updates. Follow the league on social media @thepwhlofficial. 

Media Contact Information

SOURCE Ally Financial

Source link