In the run-up to this year’s upfronts, Scripps Sports has announced an expanded lineup of women’s sports, including the addition of the Fort Myers Tip-Off Classic Tournament and the new SI Women’s Games.
The additions build on Scripps Sports’ national partnerships with the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL).
It also has local partnerships with the National Hockey League’s (NHL) 2024 Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, the 2023 Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights, the new Utah Hockey Club, the Las Vegas Aces of the WNBA, and the NCAA’s Big Sky Conference.
During a keynote at the recent TV Tech Summit, Scripps Sports President Brian Lawlor discussed how the growing interest in women's sports has had a positive impact on the new sports network and their plans to expand their rights for women’s sports.
In its newest deals, Scripps Sports announced that ION, which is owned by Scripps, will be the exclusive television home of the popular Elevance Health Women’s Fort Myers Tip-Off, a premier early season college basketball tournament. The deal covers the next five years as part of a new multiyear agreement between Scripps Sports and Intersport, which manages the tournament.
The agreement begins with this year’s edition of the Thanksgiving weekend tournament, Nov. 28-29, held at Suncoast Credit Union Arena on the campus of Florida SouthWestern State College in Fort Myers. ION will air every matchup live both days with distribution on cable, satellite, major streaming platforms and over-the-air.
The tournament marks the first national women’s college basketball rights deal for Scripps Sports.
In a separate announcement, Sports Illustrated announced an all-new, biennial all-star competition featuring elite athletes across six sports. The participating athletes will have an opportunity to earn prize money based on competition results, while competing for the title of SI Women’s Games Champion.
For the competition, Sports Illustrated has entered a multi-year partnership with Scripps Sports for ION to be the exclusive U.S. broadcast home of the SI Women’s Games. The Games will also be captured and covered across SI’s digital, video and social media channels.
“The SI Women’s Games are a groundbreaking opportunity to do what we have always done at Sports Illustrated,” said Sports Illustrated editor in chief Steve Cannella. “This is an exciting new way for us to tell the best stories in sports. We can’t wait to watch these incredible athletes compete in California and celebrate everything they do, both on and off the field.”
“We’re proud to partner with Sports Illustrated, one of the most iconic brands in sports, to showcase and bring the compelling and exciting stories, athletes and events of the SI Women’s Games to every American household,” added Lawlor at Scripps Sports. “This is another milestone for Scripps Sports and ION as a premier destination for the best in women’s sports.”
