Law&Crime Network Acquires Court TV

The Law&Crime Network has added Court TV to its portfolio in a move aimed at bringing storied legacy media into the modern era of streaming.

In a press release Monday, The E.W. Scripps Company confirmed it sold Court TV to Law&Crime — which was created by Mediaite founder Dan Abrams. Scripps acquired the rights to it from Turning Broadcasting in 2018. Court TV was relaunched the following year.

It has since covered a number of high-profile cases, including the trial of Minneapolis Officer Derek Chauvin and the case between Amber Heard and Johnny Depp.

In Scripps’s statement, Abrams said there was “no better partner” for Court TV than Law&Crime. The statement continued:

“There is no better partner than Law&Crime to continue the distinctive Court TV brand and network,” said Abrams. “I began my career at Court TV, and we look forward to continuing its important tradition of giving viewers an inside look at some of the most fascinating and important trials. Court TV will become our hub for all trial content and coverage as its own standalone channel and brand.”

Abrams also told The New York Times that he wants to bring the legacy media company into the digital age, adding:

Fifteen, 20 years ago, it was legacy media companies that would acquire a digital first. And here we are as a YouTube-first, and digital-first true-crime company acquiring a legacy media. The goal is going to be to try to transform what is a legacy media company into a YouTube and digital-media-first business.

As noted in the statement Scripps, Law&Crime airs its programming on two free ad-support streaming television (FAST) channels and has a host of streaming partners. At the time of writing, the main Law&Crime YouTube channel also boasted nearly 7.5 million subscribers.

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!