Key Points
- Scripps Sports will air the 2026 Major League Volleyball Championship exclusively on Ion.
- The semifinals and final will air live May 7 and 9, with the host city yet to be announced.
- The deal expands Scripps Sports’ women’s sports lineup, including WNBA and NWSL coverage.
The E. W. Scripps Company this week announced a new deal with Major League Volleyball (MLV) that will see its national TV network Ion serve as the exclusive broadcast partner for the league’s championship series.
Under the deal, Ion will air both semifinal matches live on Thursday, May 7, 2026, followed by the championship game the following Saturday. The host city for the event will be announced at a later date.
“Volleyball is exploding in popularity worldwide and MLV is driving the future of professional women’s volleyball in the U.S.,” said Brian Lawlor, President of Scripps Sports. “Bringing the 2026 MLV Championship to our national audience is exactly what Scripps Sports is built for – showcasing elite women athletes and their sports that inspire millions of fans.”
Major League Volleyball is preparing for its debut season in January 2026 following a merger between Pro Volleyball Federation and MLV that united two professional circuits into a single national league. The upcoming campaign will be recorded as the league’s third season and feature eight teams based in Atlanta, Columbus, Dallas, Grand Rapids, Indianapolis, Omaha, Orlando and San Diego. The league plans to expand to 10 teams in 2027 with new franchises in Northern California and Washington, D.C.
Scripps has leaned into women’s professional sports as a way to differentiate Ion from other broadcast networks. Over the past few years, the company has forged agreements with the National Women’s Soccer League, Athlos and the Women’s National Basketball Association to bring their games to free broadcast and streaming TV.
