Observed Signal · Jul 14, 2026 · Broadcast Rights Deal · Source: Cord Cutters News · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Positive
ION/Scripps Secures U.S. Rights to Women's Volleyball World Cup 2027
Scripps Sports has signed an exclusive U.S. broadcast rights agreement with Volleyball World and the 2027 FIVB Women’s Volleyball World Cup Organizing Committee to air all 64 games of the 2027 Women’s Volleyball World Cup. The tournament will be held in the U.S. and Canada in August–September 2027 with 32 teams; the three highest-finishing national teams not already qualified will earn berths for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. Games will air on ION and Scripps Sports platforms in both English and Spanish. ION, a Scripps-owned over-the-air channel, reaches more than 126 million U.S. households. The deal is positioned as a major U.S. distribution milestone for the event and a commercial opportunity for advertisers and sponsors.
Provides new linear inventory and national reach for advertisers and sponsors around a major international sports event, and increases distribution for women's sports, but does not represent a major industry-wide technology or policy shift.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Scripps Sports signed an exclusive U.S. broadcast rights agreement with Volleyball World and the 2027 FIVB Women’s Volleyball World Cup Organizing Committee.
- All 64 tournament games will air on ION and Scripps Sports platforms in both English and Spanish.
- The tournament will take place in the U.S. and Canada in August and September 2027 with 32 teams competing.
- The three highest-finishing national teams not already qualified will earn spots for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
- ION reaches over 126 million U.S. households nationally.
Connected Companies & Entities
1 Entity mapped“Scripps Sports has signed a deal with Volleyball World and the 2027 FIVB Women's Volleyball World Cup Organizing Committee to hold exclusive...”
Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
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Scripps Secures Pro Cheer and NWSL Denver Rights
Scripps has secured multi-year broadcast rights to the new Pro Cheer League (in partnership with Varsity Spirit) and local rights for the NWSL expansion team Denver Summit FC. ION will exclusively air the five-event inaugural Pro Cheer season in early 2026, featuring four teams, and Scripps will carry all non-national Denver Summit FC matches on its local Denver stations when the team launches in 2026. The deals expand Scripps’s portfolio of women’s and emerging sports—alongside existing rights such as the WNBA and Major League Volleyball—and are positioned as a national, free over‑the‑air alternative to the struggling regional sports network (RSN) model.
PWHL Reaches 126M U.S. Homes via Scripps/ION
The Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) moved from a regional, patchwork distribution that reached ~56 million U.S. households to a national broadcast arrangement after Scripps Sports agreed to air the league's neutral-site Takeover Tour game on ION. The Scripps/ION window expands the PWHL's reach to about 126 million U.S. households (roughly 95% of U.S. households), marking the league's first national U.S. television window. An Olympic viewership surge — including a record ~8 million peak for the women's hockey final — accelerated national interest. Ally Financial is the game's presenting sponsor. The league reports strong attendance growth, plans to expand from eight to twelve teams next season, and is leveraging local-first distribution to build negotiating leverage for wider national deals.
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