TV stations are scrambling to fill time left by cancellations of live professional league play

Venice Beach, Calif.-based PPI Releasing is expanding its Syndie Sports Network (SSN) from one-and-a-half to three hours a week in an attempt to help stations fill the time left by the cancellations due to coronavirus of live national sports, such as the National Basketball Association, National Hockey League and Major League Baseball.

“…[U]nder these extraordinary circumstances, we wanted to offer our broadcast partners easy, plug-and-play solutions for their schedules and some relief when they need it most,” said Ritch Colbert, principal, PPI. “We are reaching out to let them know that PPI is in place, ready to serve them, and that we appreciate the good work they are doing for their communities.”

The block includes half-hour series The Immortals, The Shortlist and Pure Outdoor. PPI is giving stations new options for scheduling, including programming each show. They can each be offered in a one-hour block composed of two episodes each or stations can pick up the entire feed in a three-hour vertical stack. PPI also offers such series as Just for Laughs Gags, Intervention, The Listener and Forensic Factor. All PPI shows are offered to TV stations on an all-barter basis.

Station groups including the Fox Television Stations, Nexstar, Sinclair, Tegna, Cox, Quincy and Heartland carry PPI’s Syndie Sports Network, which is produced by premium sports content production agency Inverleigh.