DETROIT PISTONS ANNOUNCE NEW LOCAL TELEVISION MEDIA RIGHTS AGREEMENT WITH SCRIPPS SPORTS
Rhea-AI Summary
The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP), through Scripps Sports, reached a new local television media rights agreement with the Detroit Pistons starting in the 2026‑27 NBA season.
WMYD TV20 Detroit will air all locally available pre-season and regular-season games free, with added game-day shows, weekly Pistons programming, and planned direct-to-consumer streaming.
Positive
- Multi-year local TV rights deal with Detroit Pistons starting 2026-27 season
- WMYD TV20 becomes exclusive local broadcast home, expanding Scripps Sports portfolio
- Agreement includes comprehensive pregame, in-game, postgame and weekly Pistons programming
- Planned direct-to-consumer streaming app collaboration with Detroit Pistons
Negative
- None.
News Market Reaction – SSP
In the May 14 session, SSP gained 1.44%, reflecting a mild positive market reaction.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Key Figures
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | 24h Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 07 | Q1 2026 earnings | Negative | -3.1% | Quarterly results with revenue, loss, and leverage metrics detailed to investors. |
| May 05 | Spelling Bee host | Positive | +1.2% | Named Mina Kimes as TV host for Scripps National Spelling Bee broadcasts. |
| Apr 16 | PWR rights deal | Positive | -0.6% | Multi-year U.S. broadcast partnership for Premier Women’s Rodeo on ION and Grit. |
| Apr 14 | Earnings date set | Neutral | +1.9% | Announcement of timing and access details for Q1 2026 earnings release and call. |
| Apr 07 | Predators rights deal | Positive | -1.6% | Multi-year media rights deal to air Nashville Predators games starting 2026–27. |
24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.
Recent Scripps Sports rights deals have not consistently lifted the stock; some partnerships saw negative next-day moves despite strategic positioning in live sports.
Over the last month, Scripps combined financial updates with an aggressive sports-rights push. Q1 2026 results on May 7 showed a loss and higher leverage, and the stock fell 3.1%. At the same time, Scripps Sports announced new properties: Premier Women’s Rodeo on April 16 and a multi-year Nashville Predators deal on April 7, both framed as expanding live sports coverage but followed by mild share-price weakness. Entertainment-focused news, like the Mina Kimes Spelling Bee hosting announcement, coincided with a modest gain.
Key Terms
over-the-air television technical
media rights agreement financial
broadcast platform technical
direct-to-consumer streaming application technical
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
Pistons Basketball Returns to Free, Over‑the‑Air Television in
Under the agreement, WMYD TV20
"This move is for our fans. They have been huge all season and throughout this playoff run. Their energy and support have lifted our team and helped fuel our resurgence," said Pistons Owner Tom Gores. "It's a new era of Pistons basketball and we want to make sure that more people in
"This partnership with Scripps Sports is an exciting moment for the Detroit Pistons," said Arn Tellem, Vice Chairman of the Detroit Pistons. "Basketball has always been deeply woven into the fabric of our city, and we're proud to expand access to our games. We look forward to partnering with Scripps to deliver outstanding broadcasts and programming that reflects the energy, pride and passion of
The agreement marks the Pistons' return to a primarily local broadcast television home for the first time since 2005 and removes barriers for fans by eliminating the need for a paid television subscription to watch locally televised games.
"Over-the-air broadcasting has proven to be one of the most powerful ways to connect sports teams with their fans," said Brian Lawlor, President of Scripps Sports. "As we are seeing right now, the fandom around the Pistons is high and every fan deserves to have access to Detroit Pistons games. Scripps Sports is proud to partner with the Pistons to deliver their games to more fans than ever before – because the best team in the East deserves the best broadcast platform in the NBA."
"TV20
As part of the partnership, the Pistons and Scripps Sports will produce comprehensive game‑day coverage, including pregame, in‑game and postgame programming. The agreement also includes a weekly, half‑hour Pistons show, along with original team‑focused content integrated across broadcasts and digital programming across Scripps' family of channels.
Scripps Sports intends to engage its stations across the state of
- pistons.com -
ABOUT THE
Since their arrival in 1957, the Detroit Pistons have become one of the most storied franchises in the NBA. With over 2,500 regular-season and playoff victories, the club has celebrated three NBA Championships (1989, 1990, 2004), five NBA Finals appearances (1988, 1989, 1990, 2004, 2005) and 11 Eastern Conference Finals appearances. In October 2019, the club opened the new Henry Ford Detroit Pistons Performance Center located in the New Center area, a campus that serves as the organization's practice facility and corporate headquarters. Since its purchase by
ABOUT SCRIPPS SPORTS
Scripps Sports serves professional and college sports leagues, conferences and teams with local market depth and national broadcast reach. Scripps Sports currently has partnerships with the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL), Major League Volleyball (MLV), Pro Cheer League (PCL), ATHLOS track-and-field, the National Hockey League's (NHL) 2020 and 2021 Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning, 2024 and 2025 Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, 2023 Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights, the Utah Mammoth, the Nashville Predators, the Las Vegas Aces of the WNBA, Denver Summit FC of the NWSL and the NCAA's Big Sky Conference. Scripps Sports is owned by The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP).
Contacts:
Kevin Grigg
Detroit Pistons
KGrigg@pistons.com
Dan Whelan
Platinum Equity
dwhelan@platinumequity.com
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SOURCE Detroit Pistons