List of Florida Panthers broadcasters

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In 1996, Florida Panthers owner Wayne Huizenga purchased a 70% controlling interest in SportsChannel Florida, with Rainbow Media (by that time, a joint venture between Cablevision and NBC) retaining a minority 30% interest.[1] That led Huizenga to move the NHL franchise's game telecasts from Sunshine Network to SportsChannel Florida for the 1996–97 season.

In 2000, SportsChannel Florida was bought by Fox Sports Networks and was renamed to Fox Sports Net Florida.[2][3] The channel was also known as FSN Florida and Fox Sports Florida.

On December 14, 2017, as part of a merger between both companies, The Walt Disney Company announced plans to acquire all 22 regional Fox Sports networks from 21st Century Fox, including Fox Sports Florida. However, on June 27, 2018, the Justice Department ordered their divestment under antitrust grounds, citing Disney's ownership of ESPN. On May 3, 2019, Sinclair Broadcast Group and Entertainment Studios (through their joint venture, Diamond Sports Group) bought Fox Sports Networks from The Walt Disney Company for $10.6 billion. The deal closed on August 22, 2019. On November 17, 2020, Sinclair announced an agreement with casino operator Bally's Corporation to serve as a new naming rights partner for the FSN channels. Sinclair announced the new Bally Sports branding for the channels on January 27, 2021.

On March 31, 2021, coinciding with the start of the 2021 Major League Baseball season the next day, Fox Sports Florida and sister network Fox Sports Sun rebranded as Bally Sports Florida and Bally Sports Sun, which resulted in 18 other Regional Sports Networks renamed Bally Sports in their respective regions. The first live sporting event on Bally Sports Florida will be the Marlins home opener against the Rays on April 1.

On March 14, 2023, Diamond Sports filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy.

In July 2024, amid Bally Sports' bankruptcy, the Panthers announced an agreement with the E.W. Scripps Company and its Scripps Sports division, under a multi-year deal beginning in the 2024–25 NHL season to air Panthers games. Scripps' Miami-Fort, Lauderdale station WSFL-TV 39 will serve as flagship station of the Panthers' television network. WHDT-TV 9 will air games in the Stuart-West Palm Beach market. WFTX-TV 36.3 will air games in the Fort Myers-Naples market. The Panthers will launch an in-market streaming service, Panthers+ to carry the games. The service costs $1.99 per game and $69.99 for the full season.[4]

Outside of South Florida, the Panthers' games will be broadcast on ESPN+. Nationally, Panthers games may air on ABC, ESPN, ESPN+, and/or TNT as part of the NHL's national broadcast television rights agreement.

Radio

Years Play-by-play Color commentators
1993–95 Chris Moore John Moynihan
1995–96 Chris Moore Alain Chevrier
1996–99 Chris Moore Randy Moller
1999–04 Jiggs McDonald Randy Moller
2005–07 Steve Goldstein Randy Moller
2007–09 Randy Moller Bill Lindsay
2009–15 Randy Moller Vacant
2015–present Doug Plagens Bill Lindsay

Notes

  • In 1993, Moynihan became the radio color commentator and pre- and post-game show host for the expansion Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League. His talk show was moved to 10 p.m. to 1 a.m to accommodate his Panthers duties.[5] In June 1994, WQAM's vice president and general manager announced that Moynihan would not have his contract renewed.[6]
  • Moller has been the Panthers' television color analyst since 2015, following eight seasons as the team's radio play-by-play announcer and nine years as a radio analyst before that. He is known for screaming a pop culture reference after Florida Panther goals, though not every goal, and not when the Panthers are out of the game. Examples such as references to Tracy Morgan on 30 Rock, a Christian Bale tirade, film quotes from Wedding Crashers, Jaws, and Forrest Gump are included on a YouTube clip produced by The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz.[7] The goal calls by Moller were done in conjunction with The Dan Le Batard Show, which shared the radio station that hosts the Florida Panthers radio play-by-play. The show and listeners provide Moller with numerous pop culture references, and he then chooses what he likes and uses it during games. He is also the president of the Panthers Alumni Association.
  • McDonald filled in for Florida Panthers radio play-by-play man Randy Moller for three games when Moller became ill in January 2010.[8]

Television

Years Play-by-play Color commentators
1993–04 Jeff Rimer Denis Potvin
2005–07 Dave Strader Denis Potvin
2007–09 Steve Goldstein Denis Potvin
2009–14 Steve Goldstein Bill Lindsay
2014–19 Steve Goldstein Denis Potvin
Randy Moller (rinkside)
2019–present Steve Goldstein Randy Moller

Notes

See also

References

  1. ^ Levine, Felicia (1996-12-04). "SportsChannel Fla. gains ground under Huizenga". Variety. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
  2. ^ "Rainbow, Fox Deal for Florida Net. - Multichannel News | HighBeam Research". 2015-09-24. Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
  3. ^ By (2000-01-07). "SPORTSCHANNEL JOINS FOX SPORTS". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
  4. ^ "Florida Panthers Launch 'Panthers Plus' In Conjunction With ViewLift And Scripps Sports On Sept. 27". TVNewsCheck. September 24, 2024. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  5. ^ "WQAM's Moynihan Hired as Panthers' Radio Analyst". Sun Sentinel. September 8, 1993.
  6. ^ "WQAM radio will not renew contract for host Moynihan". Sun Sentinel. June 15, 1994.
  7. ^ "Florida Panthers Broadcasters". Florida Panthers. 2018-02-03. Retrieved 2018-02-03.
  8. ^ Gorten, Steve (2010-01-19). "Florida Panthers stay with hot hand in goal". South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Archived from the original on February 27, 2011. Retrieved 2010-07-15.
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