After airing on ESPN for the past 27 years, the Scripps National Spelling Bee will have a new TV home within the E.W. Scripps corporate fold.The popular tournament will be shown in 2022 on ION and Bounce, two free over-the-air networks operated by Scripps.
In an announcement, the company said the switch will make the bee “accessible to the widest audience in its nearly 100-year history.” Next year’s competition is scheduled for June 2.For ESPN, the spelling bee was a quirky extension of its core sports programming when it entered the network’s lineup in 1994.
Over time, it earned an annual place in American popular culture, with highlights of contestants’ exploits shown alongside those from the NBA playoffs and Major League Baseball.Scripps
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