Scripps is leaning further in to its FAST strategy by launching a dedicated sports network.
Scripps, the parent company of broadcast network Ion, is launching Scripps Sports Network, a free, ad-supported streaming television channel (FAST) dedicated to the company’s sports programming. The network will air exclusive live games from the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL), and simulcast games from the NWSL and Major League Volleyball, both of which have deals with Ion.
“Our recent live sports streaming growth tells us that fans are hungry for more,” Brian Lawlor, president of Scripps Sports said in Monday’s announcement. “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.”
The move to launch Scripps Sports Network is sensible, albeit a bit redundant on Scripps’ part. Ion, which holds all of the company’s national sports rights including WNBA and NWSL games, is already available on all of the same FAST platforms that Scripps Sports Network will be available on. In other words, fans looking for Scripps-owned sports on FAST platforms like Roku or Amazon Fire TV Channels already had access to them before the launch of Scripps Sports Network.
For the WNBA, Ion will remain the only network to watch live game broadcasts, while Scripps Sports Network will air encore presentations for the league. Other leagues, like NWSL, will see games shown live on both Ion and Scripps Sports Network.
However, unlike Ion, which still airs its fair share of scripted procedurals throughout the week, Scripps Sports Network will be wholly dedicated to sports. That means plenty of original programming to fill the 24/7 schedule. Per the announcement, Scripps will launch two original series with Scripps Sports Network, and has eight more currently in the development stage.
The first series will be a conversation show with longtime broadcaster Suzy Kolber, who will talk to “trailblazers across the sports world on how they broke the rules, rewrote the playbook and built transformative career through unconventional thinking.”
The second series will star Olympic track and field champion Sanya Richards-Ross as she explores “life after gold and the power of reinvention.” She’ll interview “athletes, entertainers and everyday heroes navigating their next chapter.”
Scripps Sports Network also plans to license shows and podcasts to fill out its lineup. For instance, Kevin Hart’s Cold as Balls series will stream on the network, with other shows to be announced later.
Sports programming is clearly becoming a large piece of Scripps’ overall content strategy. In addition to its national media rights deals focused on women’s sports leagues, Scripps has local broadcast deals with the NHL’s Florida Panthers and Vegas Golden Knights.
Scripps Sports Network should help the company leverage its sprawling rights portfolio onto one centralized platform, a move that seems to prove popular with advertisers. State Farm has already signed on as the network’s “foundational advertising partner.”
The network debuts on March 24 with a Major League Volleyball contest between the Orlando Valkyries and Columbus Fury.