CINCINNATI, Dec. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — The E.W. Scripps Company (Nasdaq: SSP) is launching a brand new Scripps Sports division to additional leverage its native market depth and nationwide broadcast attain for partnerships with sports activities leagues, conferences and groups. Brian Lawlor, who has led the corporate’s Local Media division since 2009, will assume the position of president of the brand new division.

Already with one of many nation’s largest native tv portfolios, Scripps’ acquisition of ION Media final 12 months positions it with unparalleled nationwide attain via over-the-air broadcast, pay TV and related TV. At the identical time, modifications within the tv panorama and within the sports activities market open alternatives for brand spanking new fashions to accomplice on reside sports activities distribution.

“There is no better way to reach every generation of sports fan than through live broadcast television,” mentioned Adam Symson, Scripps’ president and CEO. “Scripps is working with the leagues and groups that acknowledge the position our property can play in rising attain and visibility for viewers engagement.

“In addition, Brian Lawlor is a highly regarded broadcast executive who has transformed our local media business – building the division from 10 TV stations in 2009 to 61 today. For the last year, he has already been leading the Scripps sports plan, bringing the same commitment to entrepreneurship and creativity for the company.”

In addition to the market depth of 61 native stations, ION boasts the fifth-largest nationwide broadcast viewership and reaches 100% of U.S. tv households via broadcast, cable/satellite tv for pc and related TV platforms. It can run localized, regionalized and nationwide programming since Scripps controls all operations.

“Sports is one of the most important content genres in television, with its consistently large and dedicated audiences,” Lawlor mentioned. “But the sports viewing marketplace has become extremely fragmented. Cable subscriptions are down, and regional sports networks are challenged, keeping fans from watching their home teams. Between our vast number of local stations and ION, a national network that can be customized in many markets, we believe Scripps is positioned to widely showcase leagues and players that are currently limited by aging distribution deals.”

Broadcasting sports activities rights is nothing new to Scripps. Beyond the sports activities offered by its affiliated networks, Scripps has a protracted historical past of buying sports activities rights for native markets together with the National Football League, National Hockey League, Major League Soccer, National Women’s Soccer League and a number of school sports activities rights, together with a number of Historically Black Colleges and Universities and the Big Sky Conference.

Lawlor serves on the board of Misfits Gaming, considered one of esports’ prime gaming corporations, with skilled groups within the League of Legends, Overwatch and Call of Duty Leagues. He is a board member of the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) and the Broadcasters Foundation of America. Lawlor additionally serves on the advisory board of the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism on the Walter Cronkite School of Mass Communication at Arizona State University. He is a previous chairman of the ABC Board of Governors and a former president and chairman of the NBC Affiliates Board. He additionally beforehand served as the tv board chairman for the NAB.

Broadcasting & Cable journal named him “Broadcaster of the Year” in 2012 and one of many “80 Most Influential People in Television.” In 2021, Radio + Television Business Report named him “Broadcast Television’s Best Leader.”

Lawlor will proceed to report back to Symson. He additionally will proceed to steer Local Media whereas Scripps works to establish its subsequent steps for division management.

Media contact: Michael Perry, The E.W. Scripps Company, 513-259-4718, [email protected]

Investor contact: Carolyn Micheli, The E.W. Scripps Company, 513-977-3732, [email protected]

About Scripps
The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP) is a diversified media firm targeted on making a better-informed world. As one of many nation’s largest native TV broadcasters, Scripps serves communities with high quality, goal native journalism and operates a portfolio of 61 stations in 41 markets. The Scripps Networks attain almost each American via the nationwide information shops Court TV and Newsy and well-liked leisure manufacturers ION, Bounce, Defy TV, Grit, ION Mystery, Laff and TrueReal. Scripps is the nation’s largest holder of broadcast spectrum. Scripps runs an award-winning investigative reporting newsroom in Washington, D.C., and is the longtime steward of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Founded in 1878, Scripps has held for many years to the motto, “Give light and the people will find their own way.”

SOURCE The E.W. Scripps Company