BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Come Wednesday, the Barclays Center won’t be simply hosting the Golden State Warriors as they take on the host Brooklyn Nets in a National Basketball Association evening match-up. Earlier in the day, The E.W. Scripps Co. will be hosting an “Upfront” affair for advertisers at an affair more aligned with this week’s IAB NewFronts, perhaps.
Ahead of that CMO-friendly event, Scripps is flipping the switch on three streaming-focused endeavors that span from sports to news and to original entertainment programming.
Of the trio of announcements shared by Scripps on Monday morning, the biggest is the launch of a Scripps Sports Network, effective Tuesday (3/24).
It is a free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channel, with “broad distribution” on streaming services and platforms, Scripps said. They include The Roku Channel, Samsung TV Plus, LG Channels, Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Fire TV and Alexa, Google TV Freeplay, Xumo Play, TCL tv+, TCL Channel, Plex, Local Now, Sports.TV and Tablo. Additional distribution partners are planned, Scripps noted.
Those tuning to “SSN” will find “a 24/7 destination for live games and events, exclusive original series, specials, documentaries and other popular sports programming.” State Farm has signed on to be Scripps Sports Network’s foundational advertising partner; the brand was an early investor in Scripps’ franchise nights of the WNBA on ION and NWSL on ION.
“Our recent live sports streaming growth tells us that fans are hungry for more,” said Brian Lawlor, president of Scripps Sports and the former head of The E.W. Scripps Co.’s local broadcast television properties. “A dedicated 24/7 sports FAST channel allows us to further leverage our existing sports rights, create a platform for emerging league partnerships and grow our position in sports, particularly women’s sports, all while serving fans and marketing partners year-round.”
Keisha Taylor Starr, General Manager of Scripps Networks and CMO of Scripps, added, “In today’s fragmented sports media landscape, Scripps Sports Network is meeting the moment as a reliable, easy-to-access home for passionate fans. We are delivering what viewers want and advertisers need: premium sports content, live games, compelling personalities and year-round programming that’s freely accessible to streaming audiences.”
Starting with 100 live events across the year, coverage will include:
-
Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) games.
-
National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) games.
-
A package of 12 regular-season women’s professional volleyball contests from Major League Volleyball (MLV), with a matchup between the Orlando Valkyries and the Columbus Fury serving as the network’s inaugural broadcast on March 24 at 7 p.m. ET. Scripps Sports Network will also air the MLV’s Championship Weekend matches.
-
The Pro Cheer League, which brings the intensity of professional sports to cheerleading for the first time on national television, features athletes competing in an all-new competitive format.
-
Athlos NYC, the popular annual, one-of-its-kind women’s-only track and field event that offers fans a unique way to see and support the world’s fastest women.
-
National Arena League (NAL), represented by Stoked Sports & Entertainment and Sky Top Content, has quickly become one of the most competitive indoor football leagues in the United States. The American 7s Football League (A7FL®) is the nation’s premier full-contact, no helmets, no pads, 7-on-7 football league.
-
Elevance Health Women’s Fort Myers Tip-Off, which welcomes the top NCAA college basketball programs from around the country for incredible competition during Thanksgiving Week.
-
The Scripps National Spelling Bee, the nation’s largest and longest-running educational competition.
Specific broadcast details and additional live programming agreements will be announced.
Additionally, content from the WNBA, NCAA’s Big Sky Conference and the NHL’s Florida Panthers and Las Vegas Golden Knights will be seen on SSN.
KOLBER TO HELP FUEL ORIGINAL OFFERINGS
Original programming is in the mix for Scripps Sports Network, too, with 10 new series in development. They are led by the network’s first two originals, both of which will be hosted by contemporary women’s sports icons:
- An in-depth conversation series hosted by iconic reporter and commentator Suzy Kolber. The new series will feature conversations with trailblazers across the sports world on how they broke the rules, rewrote the playbook and built transformative careers through unconventional thinking.
- An intimate conversation series in which Olympic track and field champion Sanya Richards-Ross explores life after gold and the power of reinvention. Richards-Ross sits down one-on-one with athletes, entertainers and everyday heroes.
Scripps Sports Network will also be home to acquired content, including the series “Cold as Balls” featuring comedian and actor Kevin Hart interviewing athletes and sports personalities from the confines of ice-cold tubs.
Additionally, the channel will host a curated suite of top sports podcasts, with further details to be announced.
SSN joins a lineup of FAST channels comprised of ION, ION Mystery, ION Plus, Bounce XL, Grit XTRA, Laff More and Scripps News.
A ‘DYNAMIC SLATE’ ACROSS MULTICAST NETWORKS
With the acquisition of Ion Networks, Scripps made a statement that digital multicast networks found on the DT-2 and up channels was worthy of investment. Then came the rapid expansion of FAST channels, and Scripps is acknowledging this with SSN.
But that’s not the only outlet poised to get a fresh original programming boost. Bounce, Grit and Scripps News are also in the mix.
In partnership with Kevin Hart’s Hartbeat and BluSpeed Productions, Bounce will premiere “The Silver Fox Squad,” a new unscripted original series celebrating the “grown-man glow-up. The show premieres later this year and will air weekly for a 10-week run.
Scripps was less revealing with what’s in store for viewers of Grit, focused on action programming. Until now, it was a hub for second-run fare. Not anymore, as Scripps confirms Grit will add original programming for the first time in its nearly 12-year history. “The network has several series in development and is expected to announce its first production shortly,” Scripps confirmed.
At Scripps News, journalist Alisyn Camerota will host a new original series on the national streaming news network. “Connected with Alisyn Camerota” will feature in-depth, one-on-one conversations with politicians, journalists, musicians, sports leaders and regular people caught in extraordinary situations. The 30-minute show premieres on Friday (3/27) at 8pm with inaugural guest Don Lemon. The streaming series will run for six consecutive weeks.
