SSP Targets 30% EBITDA Growth by 2028 via Sports Rights, CTV Expansion
A major U.S. broadcaster, SSP, announced a transformation plan targeting a 30% EBITDA increase by 2028. The growth is expected to be driven by technology efficiencies, sports rights expansion, and strategic focus on CTV. This plan highlights key strategic growth areas in the competitive media landscape for streaming professionals.
Key Takeaways
- SSP's transformation plan targets a 30% EBITDA increase by 2028.
- Growth drivers include technology efficiencies, expanding sports rights, and CTV strategy.
- The plan emphasizes sports and CTV as key areas for growth in a competitive media environment.
Why It Matters
SSP's aggressive EBITDA target signals a broader industry trend where traditional broadcasters are intensifying efforts in sports content and CTV to drive financial performance. This approach reflects the increasing value placed on live sports and the shift in viewer consumption habits toward streaming platforms. The focus on technology efficiencies also suggests an industry-wide drive to optimize operations. What to watch next is how SSP's subscriber acquisition and advertising revenue from its CTV and sports initiatives compare to its stated growth targets.
Additional Context
The transformation plan announced by E.W. Scripps (SSP) in February 2026 aims for $125-$150 million in annualized EBITDA improvement by 2028, combining cost savings, revenue growth, and leveraging AI and automation (Stocktitan, February 2026). The company's Q1 2026 earnings report highlighted a 7% core advertising revenue growth in its Local Media division, driven significantly by new NHL deals and the Olympics (Last10K, May 2026). This includes new multi-year media rights with the Nashville Predators for the 2026-27 NHL season, producing and distributing local games (Last10K, May 2026). In March 2026, Scripps also launched the Scripps Sports Network (SSN), a free ad-supported streaming channel offering 24/7 sports content, broadly distributed on major CTV platforms like Roku, LG Channels, and Samsung TV Plus (Last10K, May 2026). The company noted that CTV continues to be a growth driver, up 26% in Q1, with ongoing investments in programmatic ad stacks and platform innovation to capture both direct and political ad spending (Motley Fool, May 2026). Scripps has also been aggressive in acquiring women's sports rights, such as the WNBA, NWSL, and PWHL, and recognized strong advertiser demand for these properties (Motley Fool, May 2026). Despite a Nielsen methodology change impacting impressions for OTA and streaming in mid-February, the ad market has shown readiness to shift dollars to premium products like live sports on Scripps' platforms (Motley Fool, May 2026).
Read full article at tradingview.com
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