Scripps Sports launched on Thursday to compete with regional and national sports packages

The GIST: Scripps can do more than just spell moorhen. The broadcast company — famed for organizing America’s national spelling bee competition — launched Scripps Sports on Thursday to compete regional and national sports packages.

The company: Scripps operates local television channels in 61 markets across the country, including several affiliated with Disney-owned network ABC. Scripps expanded its national reach in January 2021 when it acquired fellow regional-focused broadcast company ION for $2.65 billion.

• This regionalized approach means Scripps is no stranger to sports — the company has held local rights to NWSL, NFL, NHL and MLS games as well as college sports events.

The details: Longtime Scripps exec Brian Lawlor will lead the sports division, which won’t build new regional sports networks (RSNs) but will instead continue to show sports on its existing channels. Outside of local coverage, Scripps Sports hopes to pick up rights to niche national packages like the NWSL, as its domestic deal with CBS ends next year.

The context: Choosing not to follow the RSN model may be a sound move. Cord-cutting continues to batter RSNs, which are now underperforming from an advertising standpoint compared to national counterparts. Several RSNs launched streaming services this year, but the pricey subscriptions have been a tough sell.

Zooming out: A move into niche national sports feels like a natural extension of Scripps’ established habit of delivering popular sports to a small but passionate audience. It also ties into sports’ almost singular appeal in a fractured media space — they offer consistent viewership in a way few programs still can. Can you spell diehards?