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Law & Crime Network Acquires Court TV in Major Shift for Trial Coverage
By James Seidel | CC News Network
NEW YORK — The Law & Crime Network has acquired Court TV from The E.W. Scripps Company, marking a significant moment in the evolution of courtroom and true-crime media as legacy television brands continue migrating toward digital-first platforms.
Scripps confirmed the sale Monday, transferring ownership of Court TV to Law & Crime, the multiplatform legal and true-crime network founded by ABC News Chief Legal Analyst Dan Abrams. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Scripps originally reacquired the rights to Court TV from Turner Broadcasting in 2018 and relaunched the network in May 2019. Since then, Court TV has delivered gavel-to-gavel coverage of some of the most closely watched trials in modern history, including the prosecutions of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, Alex Murdaugh, and the highly publicized defamation trial between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard.
Abrams, who began his career at Court TV, said the acquisition represents both a professional full circle and a strategic move for the future of trial coverage.
“There is no better partner than Law & Crime to continue the distinctive Court TV brand and network,” Abrams said in a statement. “Court TV will become our hub for all trial content and coverage as its own standalone channel and brand.”
In an interview with The New York Times, Abrams described the acquisition as emblematic of a broader industry reversal.
“Fifteen or twenty years ago, legacy media companies were acquiring digital-first outlets,” Abrams said. “Now we’re a YouTube-first, digital-first true-crime company acquiring a legacy media brand. The goal is to transform Court TV into a digital-media-first business while preserving what made it iconic.”
Law & Crime was acquired by creator-focused media company Jellysmack in 2023 and has rapidly expanded its digital footprint. The network currently operates two free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channels, maintains partnerships across major streaming platforms, and runs more than 25 YouTube channels. Its flagship YouTube channel alone exceeds 7 million subscribers.
Scripps President and CEO Adam Symson said the sale reflects the company’s long-standing strategy of identifying emerging consumer behavior and repositioning assets accordingly.
“This move is consistent with how Scripps has operated for nearly 150 years,” Symson said. “We build brands, grow them, and make strategic decisions to unlock their greatest value. The Court TV brand we rebuilt is a natural complement to Law & Crime’s extensive crime and trial coverage.”
Abrams emphasized that Court TV and Law & Crime will continue to operate as distinct brands, with Court TV retaining its identity as a dedicated trial-coverage network.
“We look forward to continuing Court TV’s important tradition of giving viewers an inside look at the most fascinating and consequential trials in America,” Abrams said.
The acquisition underscores a broader transformation in legal journalism, where live trial coverage increasingly finds its largest audiences not on cable television, but across YouTube, FAST channels, and on-demand digital platforms.
Publisher’s Note — James Seidel, CC News Network
The Law & Crime acquisition of Court TV reflects a broader media reality: courtroom journalism no longer lives on cable. The largest trial audiences today are digital, interactive, and demand real-time access to primary source material.
As traditional networks continue to migrate online, independent legal journalists and digital-first publishers now compete directly with legacy brands for attention, credibility, and influence.
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