WNBA and NWSL fans and audiences have been clamoring for more live shows featuring analysis, game breakdowns, player features and more for years. Despite the rapid growth in viewership, audience and demand in women’s sports, broadcast media companies have been slow and hesitant to fully invest in in-depth coverage.
Scripps Sports has done the opposite, creating weekly studio shows for both the WNBA and the NWSL. Now, the shows are also getting all the studio bells and whistles they deserve.
Scripps Sports has designed and developed a studio/set specifically for all pregame, postgame and in-between game shows for WNBA on ION (Friday nights) and NWSL on ION (Saturday nights). The studio features 4K monitors, a telestrator for live analysis, four unique positions — including a main sports desk — for multiple production views, and a wall of four vertical monitors to highlight teams, matchups and players.
ION is the first broadcast network to air a weekly studio show for the WNBA. Owned by The E.W. Scripps Company, the network is available for free over the air, on cable and through connected TV platforms, making games accessible and easy to find for a growing and expanding women’s basketball audience. So far, WNBA games featured on ION have exceeded viewership expectations, topping one million viewers for the first time in early June. And the numbers from the start of the season through July overall have been steady, averaging 579,000 per game — doubling the average viewership through July 2023.
While other networks, particularly those with larger platforms and deeper wallets, still lag behind in women’s sports coverage, Scripps is putting its money where its mouth is. Designing and creating a designated studio for its WNBA and NWSL coverage, and providing a knowledgeable and experienced lineup of women’s sports broadcasters to go with it is may not seem like a big deal. But it is.
“We are the first broadcast network to commit to weekly studio shows for the WNBA and the NWSL,” says Quinn Pacini, vice president, Scripps Sports broadcast operations. “We are now excited to introduce a studio for the primary purpose of delivering to fans best-in-class studio shows, feature segments and graphics packages.”
It’s one thing to talk about the WNBA and NWSL in quick news tidbits or showcase a highlight or two here or there. It’s another thing completely to provide additional programing before, during and after games, and invest in how that programming is being delivered. It’s a good indication into whether or not a network is not only taking women’s sports seriously, but also understands their inherent value.
“This is another example of how strongly we believe in women’s sports and how committed Scripps Sports and ION are to providing special content, standout broadcast teams and a state-of-the-art studio for the WNBA and NWSL,” says Brian Lawlor, president, Scripps Sports. “We’re proud to offer national studio shows on ION for both the WNBA and NWSL which reflect a significant investment and enhance our already extraordinary storytelling capabilities.”
The WNBA Friday Night Spotlight, sponsored by State Farm, features Larry Smith as the host, Meghan McKeown and Autumn Johnson as analysts. The NWSL on ION team features Julie Stewart-Binks as the host, Darian Jenkins and Jessica McDonald as analysts. Nicole Denne serves as executive producer of both shows.
The WNBA returns Thursday, August 15 after nearly a month hiatus due to the Olympic break. The new studio set will debut Friday, August 16 at 7 p.m. (Eastern Time). Get your popcorn ready.
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