Thousands of South Florida Xfinity customers were suddenly shut out of the Florida Panthers' local TV feed late Tuesday after Comcast pulled several Scripps-owned channels in what appears to be a carriage dispute. Fans across Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties reported the game vanishing from their channel guides and scrambled for antennas and streams while the action rolled on without them.
Which channels were affected
The Panthers' locally produced broadcasts are carried on Scripps-owned WSFL in Miami-Fort Lauderdale, WHDT in West Palm Beach/Treasure Coast and a WFTX subchannel in Fort Myers, according to the team’s official TV and streaming listings. Those three Scripps outlets serve as the club’s local broadcast partners this season, as laid out in the team schedule and tune-in guide, per the Florida Panthers.
How the blackout unfolded
Comcast removed the Scripps stations from Xfinity’s South Florida lineup on Tuesday, and the Panthers’ local telecast never showed up for subscribers in Miami-Dade, Broward and West Palm Beach, according to the Miami Herald. Team officials told affected fans that games in those counties are still available over the air, on other cable and satellite providers and on the Panthers Plus app, and they urged subscribers with service or carriage questions to call Comcast at 1-800-934-6489.
Why this is happening
Retransmission-consent fights between broadcasters and pay-TV companies have been popping up more often as teams and station groups renegotiate distribution in the wake of the RSN shakeup. Scripps has previously hit carriage roadblocks with multichannel video providers, including a well-publicized impasse involving its Utah feed, as reported by RBR. Comcast’s past run-ins with regional sports network owners helped push teams like the Panthers to pivot to over-the-air partners last year, a shift detailed by CBS News Miami.
How to watch tonight
Fans iced out on Comcast still have a few options. You can try pulling in WSFL, WHDT or the WFTX subchannel with an over-the-air antenna, stream the game through the Panthers Plus app or watch via another cable or satellite provider that continues to carry the Scripps signals. If you are an Xfinity customer, calling Comcast’s support line and clearly noting your county might help your complaint get logged faster, although carriage fights only end when the two sides finally cut a deal, which can take hours or considerably longer.
What to expect next
Negotiations over retransmission fees and channel placement can wrap up quickly or drag out, depending on how far each side is willing to push. For now, fans will need to watch for official statements from Comcast and Scripps on any progress and keep checking local station schedules for over-the-air listings until a channel restoration is announced.
