Brian Lawlor

President of Scripps Sports, Ew Scripps -cl A

Search every verified Brian Lawlor interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Brian Lawlor, President of Scripps Sports, discussed the company's two-tier strategy for sports distribution in a March 2026 interview. He stated that on a national level, Scripps prioritizes reach over maximizing rights fees, citing the WNBA's decision to renew a long-term deal with Scripps for a Friday night package despite "aggressive pursuit" from other bidders. Lawlor said the league valued the "over-the-air" reach of having a nationally distributed, consistent franchise night available on every platform, including streaming, over potentially higher payments from streamers. On the local level, Lawlor described the model as "completely the opposite," with a smaller base of distribution revenue but a focus on "doubling, tripling the audience" to increase the value of sponsorship and advertising deals. He said Scripps has been successful with teams in the NHL, NWSL, and WNBA, and expects to add NBA deals "sooner than later" if those rights are not distributed nationally. Lawlor characterized the arrangement as a "profitable venture" for Scripps and a "very good venture" for the teams involved.