Court TV Adds Distribution as it Nears May 8 Launch

The new Court TV said it struck a number of new distribution agreements with broadcasters, cable operators and streaming platforms ahead of its May 8 launch.

Katz Networks, the division of the E.W. Scripps Co. that is reviving court TV, said it made deals with more than a dozen mid-sized cable operators including GCI Cable, Massillion Cable TV, Buckeye Cable, Skitter TV, CDE Lightband and Hotwire Communications.

Court TV will also be carried by an additional group of TV stations owned by Meredith Broadcasting, Tegna, Nexstar, Quincy Media, Lockwood Broadcast Group and American Spirit.

Katz had previously announced deals with stations owned by Tribune Broadcasting, E.W. Scripps, Univision, and the new deals bring Court TV’s over the air penetration to more than 80% of the U.S.

Related: Tewolde Added to Anchor Lineup at Court TV

The Court TV app, with a live feed of the network, will be available to users of Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Android and Apple devices. The network will also be live streamed on CourtTV.com, which will also feature exclusive online content.

“The response to the new Court TV from distributors, as well as advertisers and consumers alike, has been overwhelmingly positive. We are in active conversations with many more cable and satellite providers and we fully expect Court TV’s availability to expand even further across all platforms in the months ahead,” said Jonathan Katz, CEO of Katz Networks.

Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.