Court TV
| File:Court TV logo.svg | |
| Company type | Digital broadcast network |
|---|---|
| Industry | Broadcasting, Television |
| Founded | July 1, 1991 |
| Founder | Steven Brill |
| Fate | Rebranded as TruTV (original cable channel) in 2008; relaunched as digital broadcast network in 2019 |
| Headquarters | United States , United States |
Area served | United States, United Kingdom, Ireland |
Key people | Vinnie Politan (anchor) |
| Owner | E. W. Scripps Company (via Scripps Networks / Katz Broadcasting) |
| Website | www |
Court TV is a U.S.-based digital broadcast network that was formerly a subscription television channel. Debuting in 1991, its programming centered around crime-related content, including true crime documentaries, legal commentary shows, and live broadcasts of notable criminal trials. In 2008, the original cable channel transitioned to TruTV.
The network was revived on May 8, 2019, as a digital broadcast service owned by Scripps Networks, a division of the E. W. Scripps Company. Court TV can also be accessed via streaming services and Free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) platforms like YouTube TV and The Roku Channel, with its audio available on Sirius XM channel 793.
Cable television era
Courtroom Television Network, commonly known as Court TV, launched on July 1, 1991, founded by Steven Brill, initially reaching an audience of three million subscribers. Its first anchors included Jack Ford, Fred Graham, Cynthia McFadden, and Gregg Jarrett. The network originated from the consolidation of two rival projects—American Trial Network (a collaboration between Time Warner and American Lawyer Media) and In Court (a partnership of Cablevision and NBC)—which merged in December 1990. Liberty Media became involved in the venture in 1991.
Initially, Court TV aired live courtroom proceedings along with commentary from anchors. Under Brill’s direction until 1997, it gained national attention during major trials such as the Menéndez brothers case in 1993 and the O.J. Simpson murder trial in 1995. In 1998, NBC divested its stake to Time Warner, which broadened the channel’s lineup to include both original and acquired prime-time series like Homicide: Life on the Street and Forensic Files. In 1999, it secured syndication rights to Fox's Cops.
By 2005, Court TV divided its programming into two categories: daytime live trial coverage under Court TV News and evening entertainment branded as Seriously Entertaining, which featured crime-related reality shows. In January 2006, it launched "RED," a programming block targeted at male viewers with content described as "Real. Exciting. Dramatic."
Time Warner assumed full ownership of Court TV in 2006 and incorporated it into its Turner Broadcasting System division. On July 11, 2007, it was announced that Court TV would be rebranded as truTV effective January 1, 2008, shifting its focus toward action-driven reality programming beyond strictly crime or law enforcement themes.
After this rebranding, reruns of Court TV programs were broadcast on HLN—mainly Forensic Files—and on the over-the-air digital channel True Crime Network. With HLN adjusting its programming approach and growing interest in true crime content, HLN began producing original true crime shows starting in 2017.
Digital broadcast network revival
On December 10, 2018, Katz Broadcasting, owned by the E. W. Scripps Company, declared plans to relaunch Court TV as an over-the-air network after acquiring the rights to the Court TV brand and the pre-2008 original programming library from Turner Broadcasting System and Warner Bros. Television Studios. Scripps secured affiliation agreements with Tribune Media, Univision Communications, and its own station group. Further partnerships with Meredith Corporation, Nexstar Media Group (which acquired Tribune in September 2019), Tegna, and Quincy Media were established by May 2019. The network is also accessible nationwide via platforms such as Pluto TV and Haystack News.
The relaunched Court TV emphasizes live courtroom coverage with former Court TV anchor Vinnie Politan leading the broadcasts. It began airing on May 8, 2019, starting with coverage of a murder trial in Covington, Georgia involving parents accused after reporting their newborn missing. The network has since covered prominent cases including the sexual assault trial of Harvey Weinstein and the trial related to the shooting incident involving Kyle Rittenhouse.
In May 2020, Court TV expanded its reach through a carriage agreement with YouTube TV. Following Scripps' acquisition of Ion Media in 2021, Court TV was added to Ion stations’ lineups, replacing the defunct Qubo network.
Affiliates
| Media market | State/Dist./Terr. | Station | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | Alabama | WPXH-DT2 | 44.2 |
| Dothan | WDFX-DT4 | 34.4 | |
| Huntsville | WHDF-DT4 | 15.2 | |
| Mobile | WKRG-DT4 | 5.4 | |
| Montgomery | WIYC-DT4 | 48.4 | |
| Anchorage | Alaska | KDMD-DT6 | 33.6 |
| Fairbanks | KATN-DT7 | 2.7 | |
| Phoenix | Arizona | KNXV-DT4 | 15.4 |
| KPPX-DT3 | 51.3 | ||
| Tucson | KWBA-DT4 | 58.4 | |
| Yuma | KVYE-DT5 | 7.5 | |
| Fayetteville | Arkansas | KFFS-CD | 36.1 |
| Fort Smith | KFLU-LD2 | 20.2 | |
| Little Rock | KTHV-DT2 | 11.2 |
(Note: The table continues with additional affiliates across multiple states and markets.)
Programming
Court TV provides live courtroom coverage through its Court TV Live segment. The morning program Opening Statements airs from 8 to 9 am ET, initially hosted by Julie Grant and later joined by analysts Ted Rowlands, Ashley Willcott, Michael Ayala, and Julia Jenaé. In the evening, Closing Arguments with Vinnie Politan runs from 8 to 10 pm ET, followed by overnight reruns.
Originally, Court TV's programming slate featured reality-based legal shows, scripted legal dramas, talk formats, live homicide trial broadcasts, court-related series, police documentaries, and content focused on criminal justice. Additionally, it ran a weekday news block titled In Session, which aired live trial coverage and legal news analysis between 9 and 11 am ET. This segment included expert insights and maintained a companion blog called Sidebar to deliver ongoing legal news updates.
On August 11, 2020, Court TV revealed plans to launch a new true-crime series named Judgment with Ashleigh Banfield, which premiered on September 13, 2020.
UK and Ireland
Court TV began broadcasting in the UK and Ireland on September 8, 2020, taking over from Sony Crime Channel. The channel is operated by Katz Broadcasting under the E. W. Scripps Company umbrella and transmits in English from its London base.
Initial testing occurred on Astra 28.2°E in August 2020, with the channel joining Sky’s electronic program guide on channel 179 in September of the same year. In February 2021, Court TV obtained a temporary Freeview slot in the UK on channel 89 to cover the Derek Chauvin trial; however, this Freeview service ended by June 2021.
Currently, Court TV remains accessible via Freesat on channel 177 and continues to grow its footprint within the UK and Irish markets through satellite distribution and streaming services.
Canadian version
The Canadian counterpart, Court TV Canada, was initially owned by CHUM Limited before being acquired by CTVglobemedia, which subsequently transferred its holdings to Bell Canada under the Bell Media umbrella. This channel debuted on September 7, 2001, and unlike its American equivalent, it retained the Court TV name rather than adopting the TruTV brand. It continued as Court TV until August 30, 2010, when it transitioned to Investigation Discovery. Later, in 2025, it rebranded again to Oxygen through a collaboration with NBCUniversal.
Prior to the domestic launch, the U.S. version of Court TV had received approval from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission in 1997 as a permitted foreign channel and was available on multiple Canadian cable providers.
Websites
In 2001, Court TV acquired The Smoking Gun, a website known for publishing legal documents and mug shots associated with high-profile cases. The site remained part of Court TV throughout the TruTV rebranding phase but was sold back to its original founder in 2014.
That same year, Court TV also took ownership of Crime Library, a site dedicated to chronicling notorious crimes and investigations. This resource was actively maintained until 2014 and was eventually taken offline in 2015.
Satellite radio audio simulcast
Court TV Plus debuted on February 3, 2003, via Sirius Satellite Radio, broadcasting audio feeds from Court TV programming. Originally found on Channel 134, it relocated to Channel 110 in September 2005 before ceasing operations on January 1, 2008. Scripps revived this channel on SiriusXM starting May 15, 2020; however, it was discontinued again on April 21, 2022, following an expansion of AVOD video options to prevent content overlap.
Court TV Mystery
On September 30, 2019, the Escape network underwent a rebranding to become Court TV Mystery, thereby broadening the Court TV brand portfolio. This channel was renamed Ion Mystery on February 24, 2022, to align with the Ion brand's established reputation for procedural drama series. Meanwhile, Court TV continues to concentrate primarily on news-oriented programming.