E.W. Scripps, which relaunched Court TV in 2019, has sold the network to Dan Abrams-run studio Law & Crime.
Financial terms for the deal were not disclosed. Since 2023, Law & Crime has been owned by Jellysmack, a holding company for creator-led media businesses.
Abrams is known for his work as a TV legal analyst, currently on ABC. Law & Crime also produced Live PD, a hit series for A&E that was hosted by Abrams, who now hosts On Patrol: Live on Reelz. The company has two FAST channels and 25 YouTube channels, including a flagship one with 7 million subscribers.
In the official announcement of the deal, Abrams said he intends to maintain Court TV as its own brand, distinct from Law & Crime. Court TV will become the “hub for all trial content and coverage” and will continue “its important tradition of giving viewers an inside look at some of the most fascinating and important trials,” he said.
Court TV was a trailblazer in gavel-to-gavel coverage of legal proceedings, including brand-defining ones like the the murder trials of O.J. Simpson and the Menendez brothers. Under Scripps, the network covered prominent cases like the Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard and the murder trials of Alex Murdaugh and Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who was convicted of killing George Floyd.
In its prior incarnation, Court TV rode the momentum of cable television through the 1990s and 2000s and took advantage of permissive rules in states like California allowing cameras in courtrooms. Off-screen, the network also served as a training ground for a number of executives working under CEO Henry Schleiff who rose to prominent posts across the industry. Abrams worked as a reporter for Court TV in the 1990s.
E.W. Scripps, which operates a portfolio of multicast networks, acquired the IP of the network from Turner Broadcasting and announced in 2018 that it would return to the air in May 2019 as part of the multicast strategy.
Selling the network is consistent with the broader strategy at Scripps, CEO Adam Symson said in a statement. “We identify where consumer behavior is headed, build and grow businesses that meet those evolving interests and make strategic decisions about how we unlock their greatest value – whether in our portfolio or through exits that strengthen our balance sheet and position us for the future,” he said.
