EW Scripps Co. is launching a new free, ad-supported streaming channel dedicated to live games and events, original series and specials.
Scripps Sports Network will debut on Tuesday, March 24th and will be available through The Roku Channel, LG Channels, Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Fire TV Channels, Google TV Freeplay, Xumo, Samsung TV Plus, TCL tv+, TCL Channel, Plex, Local Now, and Tablo. Additional sales partners are also planned.
State Farm was already signed on as a cornerstone advertising partner and was an early supporter of Scripps’ decision to secure the rights to air WNBA and NWSL games on the ION Broadcast Network.
“We have seen firsthand the incredible energy and passion that fuels women’s sports,” Baldwin Cunningham, State Farm’s director of media partnerships, said in a statement. “That’s why State Farm is proud to continue championing women’s sports across the country through our sponsorship of the new Scripps Sports Network streaming channel. Investing in women’s sports isn’t just the right thing to do. It’s good for business and creates meaningful opportunities that elevate our athletes, inspire our fans, and strengthen communities across the country.”
Scripps has announced a new platform for its annual “Upfront” market, where television companies try to sell the bulk of their commercial inventory ahead of the next cycle of original programming.
“Consumers are tired of subscriptions. Prices continue to rise and paywalls continue to grow. In such an environment, frictionless access to content, live sports coverage, trusted news, and original entertainment becomes a rare commodity. And scarcity is value,” Scripps Chief Revenue Officer Brian Norris said in a recent interview. “That’s why we’re launching a new streaming channel built on that insight.”
The launch of Scripps Sports Network comes on the heels of Scripps’ particular investment in women’s sports, specifically the rights to the WNBA and NWSL. In addition to women’s professional volleyball and ice hockey, the new station will offer “more than 100 hours of live programming, with more announcements to come,” Norris said. The company has acquired Kevin Hart’s “Cold as Balls” podcast and plans to introduce original programming led by hosts such as Susie Kolber and Sanya Richards-Ross.
Other Scripps properties add new programming. Bounce will premiere a new original unscripted series, “The Silver Fox Squad,” produced under the auspices of Hart’s Heartbeat Productions. The series follows a brotherhood of stylish entrepreneurial men over the age of 50 who share their expertise with men in need of help polishing their looks, improving their physical and mental health, and more. Scripps’ Grit, which features action heroes, will be adding original programming for the first time in its nearly 12-year history. Details will be announced in the coming weeks.
