9.2 million viewers watched 2023 Scripps Spelling Bee Competition

Ferdinand | EducationGhana |June 15| 9.2 million viewers watched 2023 Scripps Spelling Bee Competition

This year’s Scripps National Spelling Bee’s semifinals and finals were seen by 9.2 million viewers, an increase of 22% over the 2022 edition of the contest, organizer of the Scripps Spelling Bee, The E.W. Scripps Company has said.

In a blog post, the organisers said the finals (live and immediate encore) on June 1, 2023, reached its largest audience since 2012 which is approximately 6.1 million viewers, an increase of 30% over 2022.

“Last year, The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP) moved the Bee to its networks – available free over the air as well as on cable, satellite and streaming platforms – to make the competition more accessible to viewers

Last year’s Spelling Bee programming, including a one-hour original special, “Road to the Bee,” aired on ION, Bounce, Laff and TrueReal and was seen by 7.5 million viewers.” the organizer for the Scripps Bee said in the blog post.

President and CEO of The E.W. Scripps Company, Adam Symson in reaction to the achievement said “This year’s fantastic growth further proves the power of over-the-air television, the promise of the Scripps Networks to connect with its diverse audiences and the special place this nearly 100-year-old competition holds in the hearts of Americans.”

Ended on June 1, 2023, 14-year-old speller, Dev Shah from Largo, Florida, won the 95th edition of the record-breaking Scripps National Spelling Bee in the 15th round of onstage competition.

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Represented by three female spellers namely; N’Adom Darko-Asare, Mychelle Kumah and Janice Afiba Nketsiah. Ghana was eliminated from the competition after qualifying from the preliminary stage and advancing to the semifinals.

Ghana’s elimination comes after Mychelle Kumah, one of the three female students representing the country who qualified for the semifinals misspelt her word. She nailed the word “multifidus” to advance to Round 5 of the Bee.

The Scripps National Spelling Bee is the nation’s longest-running educational program, having launched in 1925. The E.W. Scripps Company is the longtime steward of the Bee and owns Scripps Networks.