tiprankstipranks
Advertisement
Advertisement

Scripps Expands Mountain West Footprint With Station Swap

Story Highlights
  • On May 15, 2026, Scripps and Gray closed a cashless TV station swap, shifting key CBS, NBC, ABC and Fox affiliates across five U.S. markets.
  • The transaction expands Scripps’ Mountain West footprint and market depth, bolstering its scale and ability to sustain core local news and public-service programming.
  • Looking for the best stocks to buy? Follow the recommendations of top-performing analysts.
Scripps Expands Mountain West Footprint With Station Swap

Meet Samuel – Your Personal Investing Prophet

E. W. Scripps Company Class A ( (SSP) ) has provided an update.

On May 15, 2026, The E.W. Scripps Company completed a previously announced local TV station swap with Gray Media across five mid-sized and small markets, expanding its footprint in the Mountain West. Under the even, cashless asset exchange, Scripps acquired CBS, NBC, ABC and Fox affiliates in Colorado Springs, Grand Junction and Twin Falls, while Gray took over Scripps’ Fox and ABC stations in Lansing, Michigan, and Lafayette, Louisiana.

The deal deepens Scripps’ presence in Colorado Springs and Twin Falls, where it already operates established local outlets, and gives the broadcaster a new market entry in Grand Junction. Management framed the transaction as a strategic move to gain scale and economic durability that supports its public-service mission, including local news, emergency alerts, weather and sports coverage, reinforcing Scripps’ position as a major regional player in local TV broadcasting.

The most recent analyst rating on (SSP) stock is a Buy with a $8.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on E. W. Scripps Company Class A stock, see the SSP Stock Forecast page.

Spark’s Take on SSP Stock

According to Spark, TipRanks’ AI Analyst, SSP is a Neutral.

The score is held down primarily by weak financial performance (shrinking revenue, net losses, and only modest free cash flow) and a still-leveraged balance sheet. Technicals also indicate a weak trend with subdued momentum. Offsetting factors include more constructive earnings-call signals—Local Media strength, accelerating CTV, and balance-sheet actions—while valuation is difficult to support with a negative P/E and no dividend.

To see Spark’s full report on SSP stock, click here.

More about E. W. Scripps Company Class A

The E.W. Scripps Company is a diversified U.S. media group and one of the nation’s largest local TV broadcasters, operating about 60 stations in 40 markets. The company delivers objective local journalism, national news via Scripps News, and entertainment networks including ION, Bounce, Grit, ION Mystery, ION Plus and Laff, and is the largest holder of broadcast spectrum in the country.

Scripps also operates Scripps Sports, which serves professional and college leagues, conferences and teams with local depth and near-national TV reach. Founded in 1878 and steward of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, the company emphasizes public-service broadcasting under its motto, “Give light and the people will find their own way.”

Average Trading Volume: 704,762

Technical Sentiment Signal: Sell

Current Market Cap: $322.7M

Learn more about SSP stock on TipRanks’ Stock Analysis page.

Disclaimer & DisclosureReport an Issue

Looking for investment ideas? Subscribe to our Smart Investor newsletter for weekly expert stock picks!
Get real-time notifications on news & analysis, curated for your stock watchlist. Download the TipRanks app today! Get the App
1