Tampa Bay Lighting fans can watch all their games this season online without cable. Read on to learn how you can do it!
In a hurry? Local Lightning fans in and around Florida can watch the games on Bally Sports Sun, which is available from these live streaming services:
Fubo
Known for its outstanding sports coverage, Fubo’s 150+ live TV channels provide a broad selection that appeals to most people. Fubo allows you to try out its service with a free trial.
DIRECTV STREAM
The king of RSNs, this is the streaming service for MLB, NBA, and NHL fans with its Choice Plan. New customers get a 5-day free trial with DIRECTV STREAM.
If you can’t watch your favorite sports because of your location, get ExpressVPN to access the content you deserve.
Table Of Contents
Known by fans as the Bolts, the Tampa Bay Lightning have made the National Hockey League (NHL) Stanley Cup Finals three times in the past four years. Find out how to stream every game to see if they can do it again this season.
The Lightnings have won the Stanley Cup three times since joining the NHL in 1992. They’ve made the finals five times in total.
In the 2021-22 season, they almost became the first team in 40 years to win the Stanley Cup three times in a row, but lost the finals to the Colorado Avalanche.
The Lightnings made an NHL record in the 2018-19 season by winning 62 of their games – the most won by any team in a single season (until it was broken last year when the Boston Bruins won 65 games).
The Lightnings play home games at Amalie Arena. They are a part of NHL’s Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference.
2024 Lightning Playoff Schedule
For complete information about the next game, see our Lightning Today Page.
| Date | Time (ET) | Teams | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun Apr 21 | 12:30 pm | Lightning vs Panthers | ESPN |
| Tue Apr 23 | 7:30 pm | Lightning vs Panthers | ESPN2 |
| Thu Apr 25 | 7:00 pm | Panthers vs Lightning | TBS |
| Sat Apr 27 | 5:00 pm | Panthers vs Lightning | TBS |
| Mon Apr 29 | 7:00 pm | Lightning vs Panthers | ESPN |
† If necessary
What TV Channels Air Tampa Bay Lightning Games?
Bally Sports will air 71 of the Lightning games during the 2023-24 season, on its regional channel, Bally Sports Sun. This is available to fans within Florida.
Those outside Florida can subscribe to ESPN+ for all live out-of-market games, and replays of any games aired nationwide or on the NHL Network.
Eight Bolt games will be nationally broadcast, on ESPN, TNT, and ABC. These won’t be available on Bally Sports Sun.
| Date | Time (ET) | Teams | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tue Oct 10 | Predators at Lightning | ESPN | |
| Tue Oct 17 | Lightning at Sabres | ESPN | |
| Wed Feb 7 | Lightning at Rangers | TNT | |
| Thu Feb 8 | Lightning at Islanders | ESPN | |
| Thu Feb 22 | Capitals at Lightning | ESPN | |
| Sun Feb 25 | Lightning at Devils | TNT | |
| Wed Mar 27 | Bruins at Lightning | TNT | |
| Sat Apr 6 | Lightning at Penguins | ABC |
Tampa Bay Lightning Streaming-Only Games
Three Lighting games this season will only be available through streaming. These will be on Hulu or ESPN+:
- Thu Nov 16, : Lightning at Blackhawks
- Thu Jan 18, : Wild at Lightning
- Sat Mar 16, : Lightning at Panthers
How to Stream All Tampa Bay Lightning Games
Depending on where you live, you’ll need a different streaming service to access Tampa Bay Lightning games.
Fans in Florida are what’s known as in-market, as they’re within the Bally Sports Sun coverage region. This means they can subscribe to a streaming service that includes Bally Sports, such as Fubo or DIRECTV STREAM, to watch Bolt games without cable.
Fans outside this region can sign up to ESPN+ instead. This airs all out-of-market NHL games, but it doesn’t include any other channels. For this, you’re better off getting a Hulu + Live TV subscription, which comes with ESPN+, Disney+, and more than 90 other channels.
Fubo: Best Budget Option for Lightning Games
Fubo (formerly called FuboTV) has become known as the sports-focused streaming service. Its base plan provides almost 40 sports channels, with access to almost all regional sports networks (RSNs) including Bally Sports. In addition to NHL, Fubo also has channels for watching NFL, MLB, and other league games, along with on-demand access to TV shows and other entertainment options.
Subscribers can get over 120 live channels (up to more than 180 if you opt for its Premier plan), a cloud DVR with 1,000 hours of storage, and the ability to watch on up to ten screens at once.
The base plan starts at $94.98/mo a month, which includes ESPN and ABC for almost all the nationally broadcast Bolts games as well.
Find more information in our full Fubo review.
DIRECTV STREAM for Lightning Fans
The DIRECTV STREAM Choice plan includes every channel you’ll need to watch Tampa Bay Lightning live, including ABC, TNT, and ESPN. The service also has the largest selection of regional sports networks, such as Bally Sports.
Starting at $108.99/mo, the Choice plan comes with more than 100 channels, unlimited nine-month storage on a cloud DVR, and streaming on as many screens as you’d like at home (three while away).
You’ll just need Hulu or ESPN+ for the three streaming-only Wild games.
Read our complete DIRECTV STREAM review for all the details you’ll need.
Get DIRECTV STREAM Free for 5 Days
Devices to Livestream Lightning Games
Fubo, DIRECTV STREAM, and most other streaming services support the following devices:
- Amazon Fire TV/ Fire TV Stick/ Fire TV Cube
- Android mobile
- Android TV-based smart TVs
- Apple TV
- Chromecast
- iOS (iPhone/iPad)
- Roku
- Samsung smart TVs
- Web browsers (including those on macOS, Windows, etc.)
Some streaming services also support game consoles such as Xbox and PlayStation. Check out our full review of the respective streaming service to know the exact list of supported devices.
Wrapping Up
Outside the Florida area, fans can watch the Lightning on ESPN+ and the national channels. We recommend subscribing to Hulu + Live TV to watch all the games.
Those in and around Florida will need Bally Sports Sun, which is only available from Fubo and DIRECTV STREAM. But the good news is that they both offer free trials!
FAQs
Where are the Lightning playing next?
The 2023-24 NHL regular season is over.
How are the Lightning doing this season?
The Lightning are currently 1-3 in the Eastern Atlantic Division. Here are the current standings:
| Team | W | L |
| Florida Panthers | 15 | 6 |
| Boston Bruins | 6 | 6 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 3 | 3 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | 1 | 3 |
| Buffalo Sabres | 0 | 0 |
| Detroit Red Wings | 0 | 0 |
| Montreal Canadiens | 0 | 0 |
| Ottawa Senators | 0 | 0 |
How can I watch the Lightning’s division rivals?
- Boston Bruins — NESN
- Buffalo Sabres — MSG Network
- Detroit Red Wings — Bally Sports Detroit
- Florida Panthers — Bally Sports Florida
- Montréal Canadiens — ESPN+
- Ottawa Senators — ESPN+
- Toronto Maple Leafs — ESPN+
How can I watch other NHL teams’ games?
Eastern Conference
Metropolitan
Western Conference
Central
Image cropped from Victor Hedman of the Tampa Bay Lightning by Remy Connors under CC BY 2.0.
Based in the UK and having written for pretty much every type of content going, she uses her relentless research skills and meticulous mastery of grammar to ensure every page on HotDog.com is as accurate and easy to read as possible. Her immense love of TV, sports, and obsession with figuring out every tiny detail means HotDog readers won’t find better or more up-to-date info anywhere else.
An avid fiction writer in her spare time, Georgie is finishing a Screenwriting degree in London, where she can also be found testing the newest sports tactics training for triathlons.
