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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
World
Ben Nuckols

National Spelling Bee gets sports-style TV revamp with new celebrity host

Mina Kimes ION Scripps ESPN NFL the Scripps National Spelling Bee United States Bounce The Associated Press

ESPN NFL analyst Mina Kimes is set to host the Scripps National Spelling Bee, aiming to inject a "big-game feel" into the century-old competition. Her appointment, announced on Tuesday, marks her as the first celebrity host since LeVar Burton in 2022, a year that saw Scripps take over the broadcast from ESPN and air it on its own networks, ION and Bounce.

The move comes as Scripps seeks to revitalise the event's viewership, which has seen a decline despite the shift to networks with broader household reach. Nielsen data indicates a combined audience for the primetime finals on ION and Bounce of 609,000 in 2022, 641,000 in 2023, 461,000 in 2024, and 488,000 last year.

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