{"id":958272,"date":"2026-05-05T12:19:12","date_gmt":"2026-05-05T16:19:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.marketnewsdesk.com\/index.php\/emmy-award-winning-espn-analyst-mina-kimes-to-host-the-2026-scripps-national-spelling-bee\/"},"modified":"2026-05-05T12:19:12","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T16:19:12","slug":"emmy-award-winning-espn-analyst-mina-kimes-to-host-the-2026-scripps-national-spelling-bee","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.marketnewsdesk.com\/index.php\/emmy-award-winning-espn-analyst-mina-kimes-to-host-the-2026-scripps-national-spelling-bee\/","title":{"rendered":"Emmy Award-winning ESPN analyst Mina Kimes to host the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n10-time Emmy-winner Michael Davies to produce the broadcast on ION
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CINCINNATI, May 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Nationally acclaimed ESPN senior writer and Emmy Award-winning analyst Mina Kimes will bring her passion for storytelling to the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee as host of its televised semifinals and finals \u2013 May 27 and May 28 \u2013 on ION.<\/p>\n

Also new this year, the iconic competition kicks off its next century of spelling with a refreshed broadcast vision from Embassy Row, the award-winning production company led by 10-time Emmy winning television producer Michael Davies.<\/p>\n

A three-time school spelling bee champion herself, Kimes is an NFL analyst, senior writer, podcast host and television contributor for ESPN and has built a career bringing audiences sharp analysis and compelling human stories from some of sports\u2019 biggest moments. As a business journalist, Kimes\u2019 work has appeared in ESPN The Magazine, Bloomberg News and Fortune.<\/p>\n

\u201cI could not be more excited to host this year\u2019s Scripps National Spelling Bee,\u201d said Kimes. \u201cComing from the world of sports, I see these contestants as elite competitors; I can\u2019t wait to see their preparation pay off on such an illustrious stage. Growing up, this really was the Super Bowl for kids like me, and I\u2019m honored to play a role in what\u2019s sure to be an unforgettable week.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMina shows over and over how cool it is to be smart, making her a natural fit for the Bee,\u201d said Corrie Loeffler, executive director of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. \u201cHer insight and enthusiasm, not to mention her own experience as an elementary school spelling bee champion, will help create moments that bring audiences closer to the spellers, to the language and to one another.\u201d<\/p>\n

Embassy Row, founded by Davies, has produced some of television\u2019s most iconic quiz and talk formats, including \u201cWho Wants To Be A Millionaire?\u201d, \u201cWhose Line Is It Anyway?\u201d, \u201cWatch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen\u201d and \u201cGood Morning Football.\u201d Davies also executive produces Sony Pictures Television\u2019s iconic quiz show \u201cJeopardy!\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom \u2018Who Wants to be a Millionaire?\u2019\u00a0to \u2018Jeopardy!\u2019\u00a0in all its forms, I\u2019ve had the privilege of producing some of the world\u2019s most enduring and beloved quiz shows,\u201d said Michael Davies, president of Embassy Row. \u201cAt Embassy Row, we\u2019re all so excited to bring that experience to the Bee. Our goal is to honor its legacy while presenting it in a fresh, modern way, focusing on the enormous stakes of this historic competition and sharpening the spotlight on these incredible spellers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam Harman, Scripps\u2019 senior vice president of programming, says that under Davies\u2019 leadership, the Bee\u2019s 2026 telecast on ION will create new opportunities to spotlight spellers.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith Embassy Row, we\u2019re beginning the next chapter of storytelling around America\u2019s most beloved educational live competition \u2013 the Scripps National Spelling Bee.\u201d said Harman. \u201cMichael Davies has taken popular, legacy formats like \u2018Jeopardy!\u2019 and elevated them in new ways while preserving what makes them iconic. His ability to build tension and character within a live production is world class. We\u2019re committed to giving audiences a premium viewing experience, and Michael and his team will do just that \u2013 highlighting one speller, one word, one moment at a time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n Two-night ION special event:<\/strong>\n <\/p>\n