Scripps Sells Court TV to Jellysmack’s Law&Crime Network
Court TV is getting a new owner: The E.W. Scripps Co. inked a deal to sell the Court TV network to Law&Crime, the multiplatform true-crime and legal content network founded and led by Dan Abrams that is now owned by media creator holding company Jellysmack.
Financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. The pact values Court TV at less than $125 million, the New York Times reported, citing anonymous sources.
Abrams, who started his career at Court TV before serving as ABC News’ chief legal analyst, said the plan is to keep Court TV as a distinct brand separate from Law&Crime, which he launched in 2015.
“There is no better partner than Law&Crime to continue the distinctive Court TV brand and network,” Abrams said in a statement. “I began my career at Court TV, and we look forward to continuing its important tradition of giving viewers an inside look at some of the most fascinating and important trials. Court TV will become our hub for all trial content and coverage as its own standalone channel and brand.”
Scripps relaunched Court TV in May 2019 after it acquired the rights to revive Court TV from Turner Broadcasting (which was owned by AT&T at the time). That came more than a decade after Turner had mothballed the original linear channel.
Since Scripps relaunched Court TV, the network has covered “some of the most gripping trials of the last several years,” according to the company, including Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard, Alex Murdaugh and the trial of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.
Law&Crime, acquired by Jellysmack in 2023, produces and distributes true-crime and legal content across multiple platforms. Its properties include two free, ad-supported TV (FAST) channels and a social footprint that includes 25 YouTube channels, led by its flagship channel with more than 7 million subscribers.
Adam Symson, Scripps president and CEO, said in a statement, “The Court TV brand we’ve built is a natural complement to Law&Crime’s existing library of crime and trial coverage.”
The sale of Court TV, Symson said, “is consistent with the way Scripps has operated for nearly a century and a half: We identify where consumer behavior is headed, build and grow businesses that meet those evolving interests and make strategic decisions about how we unlock their greatest value — whether in our portfolio or through exits that strengthen our balance sheet and position us for the future.”
Financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. The pact values Court TV at less than $125 million, the New York Times reported, citing anonymous sources.
Abrams, who started his career at Court TV before serving as ABC News’ chief legal analyst, said the plan is to keep Court TV as a distinct brand separate from Law&Crime, which he launched in 2015.
“There is no better partner than Law&Crime to continue the distinctive Court TV brand and network,” Abrams said in a statement. “I began my career at Court TV, and we look forward to continuing its important tradition of giving viewers an inside look at some of the most fascinating and important trials. Court TV will become our hub for all trial content and coverage as its own standalone channel and brand.”
Scripps relaunched Court TV in May 2019 after it acquired the rights to revive Court TV from Turner Broadcasting (which was owned by AT&T at the time). That came more than a decade after Turner had mothballed the original linear channel.
Since Scripps relaunched Court TV, the network has covered “some of the most gripping trials of the last several years,” according to the company, including Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard, Alex Murdaugh and the trial of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.
Law&Crime, acquired by Jellysmack in 2023, produces and distributes true-crime and legal content across multiple platforms. Its properties include two free, ad-supported TV (FAST) channels and a social footprint that includes 25 YouTube channels, led by its flagship channel with more than 7 million subscribers.
Adam Symson, Scripps president and CEO, said in a statement, “The Court TV brand we’ve built is a natural complement to Law&Crime’s existing library of crime and trial coverage.”
The sale of Court TV, Symson said, “is consistent with the way Scripps has operated for nearly a century and a half: We identify where consumer behavior is headed, build and grow businesses that meet those evolving interests and make strategic decisions about how we unlock their greatest value — whether in our portfolio or through exits that strengthen our balance sheet and position us for the future.”