TAMPA – For the fourth consecutive year, Sun Sports is partnering with cable and satellite providers in Northern and Central Florida to bring 10 high definition telecasts of Tampa Bay Lightning NHL games to area HDTV customers this season.

The first Sun Sports-produced HD telecast is scheduled for Saturday, October 7, as the Lightning host Boston in the team’s home opener from the St. Pete Times Forum.  HD coverage begins that night with the LIGHTNING ICE TIME pre-game show, hosted by Paul Kennedy.  Live post-game coverage will also be available in HD.

Fans with HD service from Bright House Networks in the Tampa Bay and Central Florida regions, Verizon in Tampa, Knology in Pinellas County, Comcast in Lake City, Cox in Gainesville/Ocala and Pensacola/Ft. Walton Beach, and DirecTV in the Lightning’s home TV territory will have access to these 10 HD NHL Tampa Bay Lightning games this season, as well as 10 Sun Sports-produced HD Orlando Magic games.  Viewers should check with their cable or satellite provider for HD channel number and availability in their area.

Over the course of the 2006-07 seasons, the 15 Fox-owned and operated regional sports networks are planning to produce nearly 1,000 live events, featuring more than 3,000 hours, in high definition, making them one of the nation’s most significant producers of local HD sports programming.

These cable and satellite providers offer this enhanced package of high-def games to their HD customers at no additional charge, subject to availability. Sun Sports and these providers also continue to offer standard definition telecasts of each of these games as part of the core Sun Sports regional service distributed throughout the region.

SUN SPORTS 2006-07 TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING HD GAMES SCHEDULE

Pre- and post-game coverage will also be offered in HD

Sat       Oct 7               7:30pm            BOSTON
Thu      Oct 26             7:30pm            CAROLINA
Sun      Nov 26             5:00pm            OTTAWA
Sat       Dec 9              7:30pm            ANAHEIM
Sat       Dec 16            7:30pm            CAROLINA
Thu      Dec 28            7:30pm            PHILADELPHIA
Tue      Jan 9               7:30pm            PITTSBURGH
Sat       Feb 3               7:30pm            NY RANGERS
Tue      Mar 27             7:00pm            FLORIDA
Tue      Apr 3                7:30pm            CAROLINA

Schedule subject to change.