Scripps Co. scores big with women’s sports on Ion Television

A strategic move pays off

Two years ago, executives at Cincinnati-based E.W. Scripps Co. identified a significant opportunity in professional women’s sports for their local TV stations. Emulating the bold moves of WNBA stars like Caitlin Clark, they took a calculated risk—and it paid off handsomely.

Ion Television: A new home for women’s sports

Scripps Co.’s Ion Television network has emerged as a prime destination for women’s sports on Friday and Saturday nights. This strategic pivot came just in time to capitalize on the extraordinary season for women’s basketball this year.

“They certainly look smart right now,” says a media analyst who covers Scripps Co. “The WNBA has evolved from a growing league to one that fills stadiums, thanks to stars like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and Cameron Brink.”

A winning partnership with the WNBA and NWSL

Last year, Ion Television inked a three-year deal with the WNBA to broadcast a Friday-night doubleheader of live games from 7 p.m. to midnight ET during the league’s May-to-September regular season. This year, Ion kicked off a multiyear deal with the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) to air back-to-back regular-season games from 7 p.m. to midnight ET on Saturday nights from March to November. So far in 2024, Ion has aired more WNBA and NWSL games than any other TV partner, including ESPN and Amazon Prime Video.

Reaching every household

“Any household in America with a TV can get Ion one way or another,” says Brian Lawlor, president of Scripps Sports. Female-skewing sports are a perfect fit for Ion’s largely older female audience. The network’s backbone consists of reruns of popular dramas like “Law & Order: SVU,” “Chicago Fire,” “NCIS,” “FBI,” “Blue Bloods,” and “Criminal Minds.”

Lawlor emphasized that the move into women’s sports was a well-considered decision, made after more than six months of studying programming options for the Ion group. It became evident that there was a demand for consistent, “Monday Night Football”-like presentations of women’s professional sports. “We saw that it was hard to be a women’s sports fan—you can never find the games,” Lawlor says. “We got ahead of the curve on the momentum that happened this year. We knew we could solve a problem by putting games on every week in the same time period.”

Local and national reach

Ion’s foundation is its 48 local owned-and-operated stations and 76 affiliates. This extensive network allows Ion to tailor each Friday’s game lineup by region, maximizing hometown fandoms. Ion is also available as a free livestreaming channel via Roku and Samsung TV Plus.

Ion’s role in showcasing WNBA games was somewhat overshadowed by the recent announcement of the NBA and WNBA’s massive 11-year, $76 billion rights deals with major networks. However, the WNBA’s deal announcement hinted at the inclusion of “additional media partners that will further expand the reach and accessibility of WNBA games,” acknowledging Ion’s contribution.

A bright future for women’s sports

As the 2024 WNBA season progresses, Ion’s faith in the growing appetite for women’s sports has been validated. Viewership of the WNBA has surged, especially after this year’s NCAA women’s basketball championship spotlighted a new generation of megastars like Clark and Reese, who transitioned directly from the NCAA playoffs to their rookie seasons in the WNBA. The dynamics around women’s basketball this year have drawn comparisons to the legendary 1979 NBA season when Magic Johnson and Larry Bird brought their college rivalry to the professional stage.

“We’re definitely seeing a lot more brands calling, asking how to get into the games,” Lawlor says. “It’s clearly getting a much deeper commitment from brands who are moving money to invest in women’s sports.”

Lawlor is confident that the WNBA will continue its partnership with Ion beyond the current agreement, which ends after the 2025 season. This year, the company has upgraded its studio facilities for the pregame show that leads into the tipoff.

“We bring a lot of value to the WNBA by having a franchise night where the whole country can see it,” Lawlor says.

For more information on the WNBA and NWSL games, check out the WNBA and NWSL trailers.

This article is a reflection on the strategic moves by Scripps Co. and the growing popularity of women’s sports, offering insights for cinema, TV series, and music enthusiasts.