For some, it’s a real life boogie and a real life hoedown. Now, others will soon get to experience women literally grabbing the bull by its horns. Thank Brian Lawlor and his team at The E.W. Scripps Co. for that forthcoming new programming opportunity, on live and local broadcast TV.
The Lawlor-led Scripps Sports arm of publicly traded Scripps has entered into a comprehensive multi-year broadcast partnership with Professional Bull Riders (PBR) that brings Premier Women’s Rodeo (PWR) exclusively to ION Networks and Grit.
Coverage will commence on the nationally distributed broadcast TV networks starting next month, with coverage of the 2026 PWR Championship in Fort Worth, Tex., on May 17 at Noon Central.
Building on this foundation, coverage grows in 2027 to include the original series “PWR: Road to the Championship” on Grit. It will culminate with the 2027 PWR Championship airing across both Ion and Grit.
In 2027, ION and Grit will broadcast a minimum of 18 hours of women’s rodeo programming over 16 broadcasts.
“Premier Women’s Rodeo embodies the dynamic, high-energy competition that today’s audiences are actively seeking, and we’re honored to serve as the national platform for this exceptional sport,” said Lawlor, who serves as President of Scripps Sports and before taking this role ran the company’s local broadcast stations. “This partnership reinforces our strategic commitment to elevating women’s sports, authentic storytelling and competitive excellence, and we’re excited to introduce this growing sport to viewers nationwide.”
Keisha Taylor Starr, General Manager of Scripps Networks and Scripps’ Chief Marketing Officer, added, “Premier Women’s Rodeo further strengthens our leading portfolio of women’s sports and fits in perfectly with the evolution of Grit into a more contemporary Western network.”
This new deal furthers ION’s position as a broadcast leader in women’s sports, with a portfolio including national partnerships with the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL), Major League Volleyball (MLV), Pro Cheer League (PCL), ATHLOS women’s track and field and additional marquee properties.
