Observed Signal · Mar 31, 2026 · Business Strategy · Source: AdExchanger · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Positive
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.
Scripps’ emphasis on women’s and local sports and a new FAST channel expands CTV/streaming inventory and advertiser options, providing flexible national/local/CTV packaging—relevant to buyers and sellers but not industry‑shifting.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Brian Norris is CRO of The E.W. Scripps Company.
- Scripps is programming WNBA franchise nights, National Women’s Soccer League matches and Professional Women’s Hockey League games on its ION network.
- Scripps is launching a new FAST channel to stream live events and original programming.
- Scripps combines ION, local stations and streaming inventory to offer advertisers flexible mixes of national, local and CTV inventory.
- Scripps will position its sports portfolio during this year’s upfronts.
Connected Companies & Entities
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Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
Scripps Launches 24/7 FAST Channel for Women’s Sports
The E.W. Scripps Company will debut Scripps Sports Network, a 24/7 free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channel, on March 24. The channel will air 100 live events across the year, focusing on women’s sports and emerging leagues, and offers premium advertising positions tied to live broadcasts. State Farm is a launch partner. Programming includes coverage of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (including its championship), the NWSL, Major League Volleyball, Pro Cheer League, Athlos NYC, National Arena League and the Scripps National Spelling Bee, plus 100 hours of encore WNBA content, an interview series hosted by Suzy Kolber, and acquired shows such as Kevin Hart’s Cold as Balls. The channel will be distributed on major FAST/CTV platforms including The Roku Channel, LG Channels, Amazon Prime Video/Fire TV Channels, Google TV Freeplay, Xumo, TCL platforms, Plex, Local Now and Tablo.
Scripps Launches Women's Sports FAST Network
E.W. Scripps launched Scripps Sports Network (SSN), a 24/7 free ad‑supported streaming television (FAST) channel, on March 25, 2026. SSN is distributed across major CTV platforms including Roku Channel, Samsung TV Plus, Prime Video and Google TV Freeplay and is positioned as the FAST ecosystem’s first dedicated women’s sports network. The channel’s first‑year slate features 100+ live events (including PWHL, NWSL, MLV and WNBA encore telecasts), 10 original series (fronted by Suzy Kolber and Sanya Richards‑Ross), and acquired programming. State Farm signed on as SSN’s founding advertising partner. Scripps positions SSN as a development tier feeding ION’s national broadcast footprint and as part of a broader strategy to own scaled reach for premium sports inventory in FAST.
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.
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