How to watch Scripps National Spelling Bee: Full TV schedule, channels, live streams for 2023 competition

Sara Tidwell

How to watch Scripps National Spelling Bee: Full TV schedule, channels, live streams for 2023 competition image

The sport of the brain: spelling.

The Scripps National Spelling Bee is returning to Ion TV after the Memorial Day weekend with a three-day competition May 30-June 1.

LIVE: Complete results from 2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee

Last year, Harini Logan of San Antonio, Texas, found herself in a spell-off with Vikram Raju of Aurora, Colorado. The pair had 90 seconds to spell as many words correctly as they could. Harini, then 14 years old, walked away with the trophy after dominating, spelling 22 words as opposed to Raju's 15.

If you want to test your brain power, take it up a notch and tune in to this year's competition. Are you smarter than a primary schooler?

Here's what you need to know to watch the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

MORE: Watch the Scripps National Spelling Bee live with Fubo (free trial)

Spelling Bee schedule 2023

Round Date Time (ET) Channel Stream
Preliminaries Tuesday, May 30 9 a.m.-7:30 p.m. N/A ION Plus
Quarterfinals Wednesday, May 31 8 a.m.-1 p.m. N/A ION Plus
Semifinals Wednesday, May 31 8-10 p.m. Ion TV ION Plus, Fubo
Finals Thursday, June 1 8-10 p.m. Ion TV ION Plus, Fubo

What channel is the Spelling Bee on?

  • TV channel: ION, Bounce

For the second year in a row, the Scripps National Spelling Bee will be broadcast live on Ion TV for semifinals and finals coverage on Wednesday, May 31 and Thursday, June 1. They will both air in prime time from 8-10 p.m. ET.

You can use ION's zip code tool to find your local affiliates.

Last year, Bee programming was seen by 7.5 million viewers and drew it's largest television audience since 2015, according to a Scripps press release. The Spelling Bee had been a fixture on ESPN for 27 years before to move to Ion.

MORE: Who won the Spelling Bee in 2022?

Spelling Bee live stream

The Scripps National Spelling Bee semifinals and finals Wednesday and Thursday can be streamed live with ION Plus, at spellingbee.com or on Fubo, which offers a free trial for new subscribers.

The preliminaries and quarterfinals will only be aired on ION Plus or Bounce XL, and the streaming services will be second homes for the semifinals and finals as well.

Scripps' other national entertainment networks — Defy TV, Grit, ION Mystery, and Laff — will also be broadcasting the semifinals and finals.

A rebroadcast of the finals will be available to watch from 9-11 p.m. on June 2 and 8-10 p.m. on June 3.

Sara Tidwell

Sara Tidwell Photo

Sara Tidwell is an editorial intern with The Sporting News. A native to Michigan's Thumb region, she received her Bachelor's degree in journalism from Michigan State University. Previous bylines include the Detroit News, Cincinnati Enquirer, Hartford Courant and The State News.