Cincinnati, OH (May 18, 2023) – Following the announcement of the “WNBA Friday Night Spotlight on ION,” Scripps Sports is taking the next step towards its first broadcast, opening the doors for sports-minded brand advertisers by tapping industry leader Playfly Sports as the exclusive national sales arm of the Friday night WNBA broadcasts. With this sales arm in place, leading regional and national brands have the opportunity to secure advertising space for all 44 Friday night broadcasts.
“We are working to build the best team possible to support the WNBA Friday Night Spotlight on ION, and it is only fitting that we work with Playfly,” said Tony Lamerato, vice president of revenue and sponsorship for Scripps Sports. “Its experience and proven success as a leader in sports media make Playfly a perfect external partner to help drive revenue for Scripps Sports.”
Playfly Sports’ Home Team Sports division will handle the partnership development, sales and execution on all in-broadcast advertising for the regular-season games on ION. Currently, Playfly is the exclusive national seller of advertising for all NBA, NHL, and MLB broadcasts, connecting nearly 2,000 brands with the most passionate local fans in sports through data-backed commercial inventory, custom creative integrations and digital assets. Additionally, the team’s sales efforts are accelerated by Playfly’s proprietary tech and insights platforms that support industry-leading forecasting, ordering and reporting processes.
“Advancing women’s sports at every level continues to be a huge focus across Playfly’s entire portfolio and the recent explosion of women’s basketball in both college and professionally has drawn massive interest from advertisers and fans alike,” said Playfly Sports COO Craig Sloan. “Our team is bringing decades of experience in connecting brands with the most passionate sports fans where it counts, and there’s no place more exciting to be right now than women’s sports. We can’t wait to get to work with Scripps on elevating the live broadcast experience in support of the WNBA.”
“WNBA Friday Night Spotlight on ION” will feature WNBA games during two windows on Friday nights over 15 weeks from May 26 to Sept. 8. The Friday night schedule and windows, details of which will be announced at a later date, will include games that will be available nationally as well as games made available on a regional basis.
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About Scripps
The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP) is a diversified media company focused on creating a better-informed world. As one of the nation’s largest local TV broadcasters, Scripps serves communities with quality, objective local journalism and operates a portfolio of 61 stations in 41 markets. The Scripps Networks reach nearly every American through the national news outlets Court TV and Scripps News and popular entertainment brands ION, Bounce, Defy TV, Grit, ION Mystery and Laff. Scripps is the nation’s largest holder of broadcast spectrum. Scripps runs an award-winning investigative reporting newsroom in Washington, D.C., and is the longtime steward of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Founded in 1878, Scripps has held for decades to the motto, “Give light and the people will find their own way.”
