Scripps Sports president Brian Lawlor discusses the company’s strategy for women’s sports

The GIST: Broadcaster Scripps is a relative newcomer to the women’s sports space, but has already seen significant wins by investing in local markets and the emerging women’s sports sector. Scripps Sports president Brian Lawlor spoke with The GIST last month about what’s been working for the thriving platform.

The deals: Since Scripps Sports was launched in 2022 and Lawlor was named president, the company has inked deals with the WNBA, NWSL, and two NHL teams. Its $39M WNBA agreement to air Friday games on ION spans from 2023 to 2025, while its NWSL deal for Saturday night matches on Ion is part of the league’s record $240M media rights deal.

The why: Women’s sports are helping diversify Scripps’ existing audience from its previous Ion days. When Scripps bought the Ion Network in 2020, the channel was primarily procedural dramas and lacked something the other top networks had: sports. Lawlor looked at available media rights and saw an opportunity in the women’s game.

• “[Women’s sports’] biggest challenge was visibility — nobody could find it,” Lawlor said. “And we told the board back in November 2022, it’s really hard to be a women’s sports fan in America, there’s just no consistency.” Satellite can’t find her.

The audience: Lawlor mentioned that procedural dramas have consistently drawn women viewers, but women’s sports are drawing a younger, more diverse audience to the network. Plus, existing Scripps viewers are sticking around to watch sports, likely creating new women’s sports fans.

The takeaway: As a newcomer to the sports space, Scripps is strategically looking for growth opportunities with high ROI, and it makes sense to target women’s sports. With more properties up for sale in the coming years, Ion can position itself as a major player thanks to its early buy-in. Making (air)waves.