"ESPN? Can you use that in a sentence, please?"
The Scripps National Spelling Bee gets underway on May 31, and in years past, the quirky event, which has aired on ESPN for the past 27 years, has been a summer staple.
This year, though, the "Worldwide Leader" won't be hosting the event, and likely won't for the foreseeable future. Announced in October 2021, the Scripps National Spelling Bee was undergoing a network facelift, with the event shifting from ESPN to ION.
Also joining the word fray is actor LeVar Burton, of "Star Trek" and "Reading Rainbow" fame, who will be on stage to host the finals this Thursday.
Here's why the change was made:
Why isn't the Scripps National Spelling Bee on ESPN?
The organizers of the event have decided to move on from ESPN in order to offer the spelling bee in more homes; ION is an over-the-air network, while ESPN is a cable network.
ESPN has carried the Scripps National Spelling Bee every year since 1994, with the exception of the canceled event in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
"Our Bee was being seen by fewer and fewer Americans," Scripps CEO Adam Symson said (via Variety). "We wanted the Bee to continue to flourish with as broad a distribution as possible."
Symson also offered a statement:
As the Bee’s viewership expands through the diverse and fast-growing audiences of ION and Bounce, it is better positioned to connect with the next generation of spellers watching along.
But there's probably a more predominant reason, Scripps, the broadcast company which purveys the spelling bee, purchased Ion Media in 2020. Rather than selling off the rights to broadcast the event, they'll be hosting it on their own networks.
What channel is the Scripps National Spelling Bee on?
- TV channel: ION, Bounce
- Live stream: ION Plus, Bounce XL
Unlike years past, this 2022 Scripps National Spelling Bee makes its way to ION for semifinals and finals coverage on June 1 and June 2.
You can use ION's zip code tool to find your local listing.
Scripps National Spelling Bee TV schedule
Only the semifinals and finals will air on ION, with all the prior rounds streaming on ION Plus.
| Date | Round | Time (ET) | TV channel | Live stream |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday, May 31 | Preliminaries | 9 a.m.-7 p.m. | N/A | ION Plus |
| Wednesday, June 1 | Quarterfinals | 9 a.m.-1 p.m. | N/A | ION Plus |
| Wednesday, June 1 | Semifinals | 8 p.m.-10 p.m. | ION | ION Plus |
| Thursday, June 2 | Finals | 8 p.m.-10 p.m. | ION | ION Plus |
National Spelling Bee winners and words
| Year | Speller | Age | Winning word |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Zaila Avant-garde | 14 | Murraya |
| 2020 | — | — | — |
| 2019 | Rishik Gandhasri, Erin Howard, Saketh Sundar, Shruthika Padhy, Sohum Sukhatankar, Abhijay Kodali, Christopher Serrao, Rohan Raja | 13, 14, 13, 13, 13, 12, 13, 13 | Auslaut, Erysipelas, Bougainvillea, Aiguillette, Pendeloque, Cernuous, Odylic |
| 2018 | Karthik Nemmani | 14 | Koinonia |
| 2017 | Ananya Vinay | 12 | Marocain |
| 2016 | Jairam Hathwar, Nihar Janga | 13, 11 | Feldenkrais, gesellschaft |
| 2015 | Gokul Venkatachalam, Vanya Shivashankar | 14, 13 | Nunatak, scherenschnitte |
| 2014 | Ansun Sujoe, Sriram Hathwar | 13, 14 | Feuilleton, stichomythia |
| 2013 | Arvind Mahankali | 13 | Knaidel |
| 2012 | Snigdha Nandipati | 14 | Guetapens |
| 2011 | Sukanya Roy | 14 | Cymotrichous |
| 2010 | Anamika Veeramani | 14 | Stromuhr |
| 2009 | Kavya Shivashankar | 13 | Laodicean |
| 2008 | Sameer Mishra | 13 | Guerdon |
| 2007 | Evan M. O'Dorney | 13 | Serrefine |
| 2006 | Kerry Close | 13 | Ursprache |
| 2005 | Anurag Kashyap | 13 | Appoggiatura |
| 2004 | David Tidmarsh | 14 | Autochthonous |
| 2003 | Sai R. Gunturi | 13 | Pococurante |
| 2002 | Pratyush Buddiga | 13 | Prospicience |
| 2001 | Sean Conley | 13 | Succedaneum |
| 2000 | George Abraham Thampy | 12 | Demarche |
| 1999 | Nupur Lala | 14 | Logorrhea |
| 1998 | Jody-Anne Maxwell | 12 | Chiaroschurist |
