Tampa Bay Lightning fans just got some great news on Wednesday. Hillsborough County and the Tampa Bay Lightning are in agreement on a new arena deal that will keep the Lightning in Tampa for at least another 17 years (through 2043). The original agreement was six years shorter, ending in 2037.
The #GoBolts officially extended their
— Eduardo A. Encina (@EddieInTheYard) January 21, 2026
lease at Benchmark International Arena for 6 more years through 2043, a deal that includes $250M from Hillsborough Co. for arena renovations paid through the tourist bed tax. The team will pay $75M for the project.https://t.co/uCeZV7lTZ1
The Lightning have called Hillsborough County home since 1992. The first four years they were in downtown Tampa at the Ice Palace before moving to Amalie Arena (now known as Benchmark International Arena) in 1996. They have a franchise record of 1,205-1,069-184 and have scored accumulated a total of 2,706 points over the course of 1,205 games as a team. They have been to the Stanley Cup finals five times (all while being in Benchmark International Arena [formerly Amalie Arena]). They have won the championship three times (2004, 2020, 2021).
Along with extending the Lightning’s contract to stay in Tampa Bay, the county has also approved renovating Benchmark International Arena. The county will pay $250 million for the renovations, while the Lightning will cover $75 million of the costs. Construction and improvements to the arena are expected to begin at the end of the 2026 season. At the completion of renovations (date tbd) the arena will have gone through what officials are calling a ”major facelift” to make the arena more modern with state-of-the-art aspects for fans, the front office, and players and staff to enjoy for “years to come.”
While plans for the renovations are still being finalized, what is final is that hockey fans in Southwest Florida will be able to enjoy Lightning Hockey in their backyard for at least another 17 years.
So far this season the Lightning are 31-13-4 and are currently sitting first in the Atlantic Division. After missing out on the Stanley Cup finals at the hand of their in-state rival Florida Panthers, the Lightning are on the hunt to strike their sixth Stanley Cup final appearance in franchise history. Earlier this month they tied their franchise record with 11 straight wins, missing out on breaking that record at the hand of a loss to the St. Louis Blues.
The city of Tampa is seeing an upgrade in Tampa sports as a whole. By the time the Lightning are done renovating, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tampa Bay Rays, and the Lightning will have all potentially made upgrades to their facility, modernizing and improving sports facilities across all of Tampa Bay.