While the nation’s biggest regional sports network operator figures out a path forward, one company that’s seemingly waiting in the wings is E.W. Scripps.
According to reporting from Next TV, Scripps CEO Adam Symson is chomping at the bit ready to put its recently established sports division, Scripps Sports, to work for the likes of MLB, the NHL and NBA.
Symson said in an earnings call last week that Scripps has been receiving “a very warm reception in the marketplace,” and that “the phone has already been ringing off the hook.”
“We see the right live sports as an unparalleled opportunity to drive the value of our linear television streams even higher,” Symson said. “Live sports has been proven as drawing the latest audiences to linear TV. It also attracts more advertising dollars per programming hour.”
Scripps Sports will utilize a range of different options that will allow teams to maximize reach to viewers and not just be reliant on pay-TV.
“It’s in everybody’s best interest, including the American people and the fans, that we don’t allow live sports to become a pure D-to-C product,” Symson said. “It won’t work for the economics of the leagues, it won’t work for the economics of the teams and it definitely won’t work for the economics of the American people.”
“What we’re bringing to the market is a new model that the leagues and the teams can get behind because they understand it’s about balancing both the revenue that they bring in as well as reach,” he added.
Symson talked about how Ion is multi-faceted and can tap in to audiences through different means like antennas, streaming and paid subscriptions. He said this is what makes it so appealing to the leagues and teams looking to get off the Diamond Sports Group sinking ship.
“The interesting thing about Ion is we not only control all of the programming decisions, we also control all of the affiliates,” he said. “And so we have the ability to bring sports onto our platform on the weekends, in prime, what every way we think makes sense for both the league’s benefit and for our benefit.”
Scripps is making moves in the sports world with Ion. In addition to the company’s interest in regional rights for pro teams, it has started discussions with the Pac-12. The network and its affiliate stations could become an outlet for major college football as well.
