Court TV has new ownership: EW Scripps Co. has entered into a deal to sell the Court TV network to Law&Crime. Law&Crime is a multi-platform authentic crime and legal content network founded and led by Dan Abrams and currently owned by Media Creators Holding Company Jellismack.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. The deal values Courtroom TV at less than $125 million, The New York Times reported, citing anonymous sources.
Abrams, who started his career at Court TV and later served as ABC News’ chief legal analyst, said his plan is to keep Court TV a separate brand from Law&Crime, which he launched in 2015.
“There is no better partner than Law&Crime to continue our unique courtroom television brand and network,” Abrams said in a statement. “I started my career at Court TV and look forward to continuing its important tradition of providing viewers with some of the most fascinating and important trials. As its own independent channel and brand, Court TV will be the hub for all court content and coverage.”
Scripps relaunched Courtroom TV in May 2019 after acquiring the rights to reinstate Courtroom TV from Turner Broadcasting (then owned by AT&T). That was more than a decade after Turner put its original straight-line channel on hiatus.
Since Scripps relaunched Court TV, the network has featured “some of the most fascinating court cases of the past few years,” including the Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard, Alex Murdaugh and Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin trials, the company said.
Law&Crime, acquired by Jellysmack in 2023, produces true crime and legal content and distributes it across multiple platforms. Its properties include two free ad-supported TV (FAST) channels and a social footprint that includes 25 YouTube channels, led by its flagship channel with more than 7 million subscribers.
“The court TV brand we have built is a natural complement to Law&Crime’s existing library of crime and trial coverage,” Scripps President and CEO Adam Simson said in a statement.
Simson said the sale of Court TV is “consistent with how Scripps has operated for nearly a century and a half. We identify where consumer behavior is heading, build and grow businesses that meet evolving interests, and make strategic decisions about how to unlock maximum value, whether within our portfolio or through exits to strengthen our balance sheet and position ourselves for the future.”
