E.W. Scripps plans to air the finals and semifinals of its 95th National Spelling Bee on six of its national networks.
The finals will take place on June 1 and air live on Ion and Bounce in primetime. Scripps will also show the conclusion of the competition on Defy TV, Grit, Ion Mystery and Laff. A rebroadcast will be available on Scripps News on June 2.
The semi finals will take place on May 31. They will be streamed on Ion Plus, Bounce XL and spellinbee.com from 2:30 to 630 p.m. A special semifinals broadcast will air on Ion and Bounced in prime time. They will also appear on Defy, Grit, Ion Mystery and Laff.
Last year, the Spelling Bee moved to the Scripps TV network from ESPN. Bee programming was seen by 7.5 million viewers, scripps said.
Preliminary rounds of the Bee will be streamed on Ion Plus, Bounce XL and spellingbee.com on May 30, with quarter finals streaming on the morning of May 31.
This year’s spellers range in age from 9 to 14 years old, with 182 spellers competing in their first Scripps National Spelling Bee and another 41 returning from the 2022 competition and 49 in earlier Bees.
“Bee Week is a truly unforgettable experience, combining the thrill and accomplishment of onstage competition with the joy of making lifelong connections offstage,” said Corrie Loeffler, executive director of the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
“This year, the Bee will continue its tradition of capturing hearts and inspiring big dreams with a refreshed look: We’ve updated our logo with a new design that’s both bold and playful – indicative of the Bee spirit at every level of competition," Loeffler said. "New, vibrant branding will be woven throughout the halls of the Gaylord and across the TV programming. Fans watching along at home will see some familiar faces featured on spellingbee.com and this year’s broadcasts, celebrating what makes the Bee so captivating: our spellers."
