This post was written in partnership with Sling TV.
The Lightning won the Stanley Cup Finals for two consecutive years in 2020 and 2021, and they may be on track to add another trophy to the case. The team has clinched a playoff spot in the 2023-2024 season, and they’re just a few games behind the leader of the Eastern Conference. If you want to watch Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos, and the rest of the Lightning fight their way to the finish, you don’t need cable to do it. Most streaming networks offer at least some Tampa Bay Lightning coverage.
What Channels Are Tampa Bay Lightning Games On
You’ll get the most Tampa Bay Lightning games if you have Bally Sports Sun. However, the team is also aired on some national channels throughout the season. ESPN Plus covers a healthy number of Lightning games in the 2023-2024 season.
| Sling TV | DIRECTV STREAM | Fubo | Hulu + Live TV | YouTube TV | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ESPN | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| ABC | ✔* | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| NHL Network | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| Bally Sports Sun | ✔ | ✔ | |||
| TNT | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Watch the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sling TV (Featured partner)
Sling TV gives you several options for watching the Lightning this season. For only $40 per month, you can watch the Lightning games on ESPN and TNT channels with the Sling Orange plan. Or, for only $15 more, you can pay $55 per month with the Sling Orange & Blue plan. If your area gets local channels, you can also watch the games on ABC and your monthly costs will increase by $5 per month.
Sling TV is missing Bally Sports networks, so you won’t be able to see all of the locally covered games. You will need to supplement your streaming service with Bally Sports Plus if you want to see every puck drop. Sling also offers Sports Extra add-on packages for $11 that carry NHL Network. These extras also have NBA TV, MLB Network, MLB Network Strike Zone, Tennis Channel, SEC Network, NFL RedZone, and Golf Channel. Sling Orange and Sling Blue each have their own add-on priced at $11.
Watch the Tampa Bay Lightning on DIRECTV STREAM
DIRECTV STREAM is one of the best choices for watching the Lightning this season because they have Bally Sports networks. For $79.99 per month, you have access to 75+ channels, but you can also upgrade to the Choice, Ultimate, and Premier plans to get more than 100 channels. In addition to Bally Sports Sun, DIRECTV STREAM has local channels, including ESPN, TNT, and NHL Network.
The streaming service also has sports channels like NFL Network, NFL RedZone, NBA TV, MLB Network, CBS Sports Network, Fox Sports 2, Tennis Channel, SEC Network, ACC Network, and Big Ten Network. DIRECTV STREAM offers unlimited DVR space, so you can record NHL games when you’re not at home and keep them for up to nine months.
Watch the Tampa Bay Lightning on Fubo
Priced from $79.99 to $99.99, Fubo’s three plans offer a lot of ways to watch the Tampa Bay Lightning and more. Fubo is the only streaming service aside from DIRECTV STREAM to offer Bally Sports Sun, so you can watch every game. You can also watch games on ABC and ESPN, though Fubo doesn’t carry TNT.
Other sports networks in the Fubo channel lineup include NHL Network, Fox Sports 1 (FS1), Big Ten Network, Golf Channel, and Fubo Sports. All subscribers get 1000 hours of DVR storage, too. The Sports Lite Add-on includes NHL Network, NBA TV, MLB Network, and other sports favorites for just $9.99 per month.
For $74.99 per month, you get access to 124+ channels on Fubo. You can watch the Lightning games with this plan on ESPN and ABC. For $11 more, you can add the Sports Plus add-on, which includes NHL Network. All Fubo plans offer a seven-day free trial.
Watch the Tampa Bay Lightning on Hulu + Live TV
For $76.99 per month, you can use Hulu + Live TV to watch the Lightning games on several channels including ESPN, TNT, and ABC. All Hulu + Live TV customers also get ESPN Plus for free, which is a major plus. Once you have your Hulu login, you can use the same credentials to log in to ESPN Plus immediately, with no extra signup required. If you want to eliminate ads on Hulu’s vast on-demand library, the price of service increases to $89.99 per month.
The Hulu + Live TV channel lineup includes more than 90 channels, including all local networks. Unfortunately, the streamer doesn’t have Bally Sports Sun. Also missing from the lineup is the NHL Network. However, it does carry ESPN2, ESPNU, FS1, FS2, NFL Network, TNT, the ACC Network, Big Ten Network, and SEC Network. The Hulu + Live TV Sports Add-on for $9.99 per month offers NFL RedZone, FanDuel TV, FanDuel Racing, MAVTV, Outdoor Channel, and Sportsman Channel. This service also has unlimited DVR.
Watch the Tampa Bay Lightning on YouTube TV
YouTube TV offers a single base plan for $72.99 per month. You won’t have Bally Sports Sun, but the plan does let you watch the Lightning games on ESPN, TNT, and ABC. YouTube TV has more than 100 channels in total, including NFL Network, FS1, FS2, the CBS Sports Network, and the Tennis Channel. Unfortunately, the service doesn’t have a way for you to get NHL Network but it is the exclusive home of the NFL Sunday Ticket (for an additional fee).
In addition to unlimited DVR and three simultaneous streams, YouTube TV has a Sports Plus add-on for $10.99 per month. This add-on has 13 sports networks, including beIN SPORTS, NFL RedZone from NFL Network, Fox Soccer Plus, Billiard TV, FanDuel TV, Fight Network, and Impact Wrestling.
Watch the Tampa Bay Lightning on ESPN Plus
ESPN Plus is a standalone app that doesn’t stream the ESPN channel but rather offers additional content. Some of that content includes full NHL games. You can get the ESPN Plus app on its own for $10.99 per month or $109.99 per year (about a 15 percent discount). The app carries some Tampa Bay Lighting games, as well as college basketball, documentaries, highlights, and more. If you have Hulu + Live TV, you’ll get the ESPN Plus app for free. You can log in with your Hulu credentials as long as your Hulu + Live TV account is active.
FAQ
How can I watch the Tampa Bay Lightning game tonight?
Most Tampa Bay Lightning games air on Bally Sports Sun, but the team also airs some games on national networks. The team also airs on NHL Network, ABC, ESPN, TNT, and the ESPN Plus app.
Who carries Tampa Bay Lightning games?
Bally Sports Sun carries the games regionally, and ESPN, TNT, and ABC cover the games nationally. ESPN Plus also carries many of the team’s matches.
Does Tampa Bay Lightning have an app?
Yes, the Tampa Bay Lightning has an app for Apple and Android users. You can find the Apple iOS app in the Apple Store, and the Android app in Google Play.
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