Observed Signal · May 8, 2026 · Rebranding · Source: Adweek · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Positive
Keisha Taylor Starr Turns ION into Women's Sports Powerhouse
Keisha Taylor Starr, EVP, CMO and general manager of Scripps Networks at The E.W. Scripps Company, led a two-year strategic repositioning of ION into a general-entertainment network centered on pioneering women’s sports programming. The initiative included franchise-level investments such as dedicated WNBA broadcasts on Friday nights and NWSL games on Saturday nights, and a deliberate broadening of what the network calls “sport” to include cheer competitions and women’s college basketball. The effort produced record audience engagement—including seven WNBA broadcasts that averaged over 1 million viewers—and earned ION Google TV’s designation as the most-watched free live channel in 2024. In the interview/profile, Taylor Starr emphasizes CMOs taking P&L responsibility, linking marketing investments to measurable business value, and making early strategic bets on underserved audiences.
Case study of a media-owner rebrand that produced measurable audience and viewership gains; offers programming and monetization lessons for broadcasters, CTV/FAST operators and advertisers but is not industry-shifting.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Keisha Taylor Starr is EVP, CMO, and general manager of Scripps Networks at The E.W. Scripps Company.
- ION was rebranded into a general entertainment network with a focus on women’s sports programming.
- Scripps scheduled franchise-level programming: WNBA broadcasts on Friday nights and NWSL games on Saturday nights.
- Seven WNBA broadcasts on ION averaged over 1 million viewers, per the profile.
- ION was designated Google TV’s most-watched free live channel in 2024.
Connected Companies & Entities
4 Entities mappedRelated Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
Scripps Doubles Down on Women’s and Local Sports
The E.W. Scripps Company is strategically expanding its sports programming and streaming inventory to prioritize women’s and local sports across its ION network, local TV stations and new FAST (free ad-supported streaming TV) channels. In an AdExchanger Talks interview, CRO Brian Norris described initiatives including WNBA franchise nights, National Women’s Soccer League matches and Professional Women’s Hockey League games on ION, plus a FAST channel that streams live events and original athlete-focused content. Scripps is packaging national, local and CTV inventory flexibly to meet advertiser objectives—reach, regional targeting or performance—and plans to present its sports portfolio during this year’s upfronts. The company frames the FAST channel as an alternative to subscription fatigue and paywalls, aiming to attract advertisers and audiences with free live sports and storytelling formats.
ION WNBA Preseason Sets Viewership Record
ION's broadcast of the Indiana Fever vs. New York Liberty on April 25 averaged 743,000 viewers and peaked at 822,000, marking the network's most-watched WNBA preseason game. The piece highlights Scripps Sports Network (SSN), launched March 24 as a FAST channel dedicated to women's sports, as a strategic distribution play intended to capture undervalued FAST inventory and create pricing power. ION will carry 50 WNBA games this season, and the preseason numbers are framed as a pricing signal for media buyers setting rate cards. The article also references prior Scripps distribution moves (PWHL expansion) and Magnite's automation of SSN live-sports inventory as part of the infrastructure enabling measured growth.
YouTube TV Adds ION to Sports Package
YouTube TV has added the ION channel to its sports add‑on package, expanding live WNBA coverage for subscribers. The integration brings ION’s Friday-night WNBA showcases and additional game broadcasts into YouTube TV’s lineup, including dedicated overflow channels to allow simultaneous live coverage of multiple games. The article notes ION Television’s history — launched as Pax TV in 1998 by Lowell “Bud” Paxson, rebranded in 2005 and 2007 — and that E.W. Scripps Company acquired ION Media in 2021 for about $2.65 billion. The change aims to improve access to women’s professional basketball for YouTube TV subscribers without major setup changes.
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