A New Sports TV Network Debuts This Week - And It’s Free To Watch
Live sports continue to reign supreme over the rest of the television world when it comes to ratings, and they're also among the main reasons why customers elect to keep certain plans or streaming services.
Events like the Super Bowl, World Baseball Classic and NCAA tournament have proven to be massive hits for their respective rights holders in 2026, but the benefits to various networks have come at a cost for fans.
Seeing your favorite team play on TV could be more expensive than ever, depending on the sport. Some leagues broadcast games on multiple services per week, complicating the process even more.
A new sports network is set to debut this week on several popular platforms, and in a refreshing change of pace in the sports world, it will be completely free to view.
Scripps Sports Network Debuts This Week
The Scripps Sports Network will debut on Tuesday, March 24. The channel will be available to stream on the Roku Channel, LG Channels, Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Fire TV Channels, Google TV Freeplay, Xumo, TCL tv+, TCL Channel, Plex, Local Now and Tablo.
More distributors are planned for the future, but the network will be available on most major free TV platforms, giving the channel an impressive reach from day one.
Scripps' decision to start a sports network comes after its success as a rights holder for the WNBA and NWSL. The company shows games from those leagues on Ion, its broadcast television network.
A season to remember. ????????
— WNBA on ION (@IONWNBA) September 12, 2025
Thank you for sharing your Friday nights with us this summer. See you when WNBA on ION returns in 2026! pic.twitter.com/NvXNzFebCw
"Consumers are exhausted by subscription. Pricing continues to rise, and the paywalls keep multiplying. In that environment, the content you can access without friction, live sports, trusted news, original entertainment, becomes the scarce commodity. And scarce is what becomes valuable,” said Scripps' chief revenue officer Brian Norris, discussing the industry in an interview.
“This is why we’re launching a new streaming channel built around that insight.”
What Kind of Content Can Fans Expect?
Scripps Sports Network will feature "more than 100 hours of live programming," including games from professional women's hockey and volleyball leagues. Live WNBA and NWSL games will remain on Ion, but replays will come to the new network after live programming ends.
New series have also been announced, featuring longtime sports broadcaster Suzy Kolber and Olympic gold medalist Sanya Richards-Ross.
Kolber's series will center around conversations with “trailblazers across the sports world on how they broke the rules, rewrote the playbook and built transformative career through unconventional thinking.”
Richards-Ross' new show will focus on “life after gold and the power of reinvention," with the former track and field champion talking to athletes and others "navigating their next chapter."
Kevin Hart's popular "Cold as Balls" interview series will be featured on the channel, in which the comedian and actor discusses various topics with athletes while sitting in a cold tub.
Fans can get their first look at Scripps Sports Network on March 24, when the network debuts for a live Major League Volleyball game between the Orlando Valkyries and Columbus Fury at 7 PM ET.