Getty The 2022 Scripps National Spelling Bee winner, 14-year-old Harini Logan from San Antonio, Texas
The 2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee Finals have moved to a new home after airing for over a decade on ESPN. The 2023 finals air live on Thursday, June 1 at 8 p.m. ET on ION.
If you don’t have cable, you can watch a live stream of the show on FuboTV or DirecTV Stream, which both include ION and come with a free trial.
Here’s a full rundown of how to watch a live stream of the 2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee Finals online:
Note: Heavy may earn an affiliate commission if you sign up via a link on this page
FuboTV
You can watch a live stream of ION and 100-plus other live TV channels on FuboTV, which comes with a free seven-day trial:
Once signed up for FuboTV, you can watch the Heat vs Nuggets live on the FuboTV app or FuboTV website.
Compatible devices for the FuboTV app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
DirecTV Stream
DirecTV Stream has four different channel packages: “Entertainment,” “Choice,” “Ultimate” and “Premier.” ION is included in every one, and you can pick any package and any add-on you want with your free five-day trial:
Once signed up for DirecTV Stream, you can watch the Heat vs Nuggets live on the DirecTV Stream app or DirecTV Stream website.
Compatible devices for the DirecTV Stream app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Samsung TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
Scripps National Spelling Bee Finals 2023 Preview
After airing for years on ESPN, the Scripps National Spelling Bee has a new home on ION.
“The Scripps National Spelling Bee is a beloved American treasure enjoyed by generations of participants and viewers annually. The time is right to bring the iconic competition back to broadcast television, the media platform accessible for free to nearly every American viewer across the country,” Scripps President and CEO Adam Symson said in a statement. “As the Bee’s viewership expands through the diverse and fast-growing audiences of Ion and Bounce, it is better positioned to connect with the next generation of spellers watching along.”
In 2023, Scripps welcomed 231 spellers to National Harbor, Maryland, on May 30 through May 1 for the national rounds of this annual competition, now in its 95th year.
Here is the 2023 Bee by the numbers, according to the press release:
- The spellers range in age from 9 to 14.
- Nearly 80 percent – 182 spellers – are competing in their first Scripps National Spelling Bee this year.
- There are 41 spellers returning from the 2022 field and 49 spellers who have previously competed in the national competition.
- Two are returning finalists from the 2022 national competition: Kirsten Tiffany Santos from Houston and Surya Kapu from Salt Lake City. They tied for fifth last year.
- Akash Vukoti from San Angelo, Texas, is competing in the national competition for a record sixth time. Fourteen spellers are competing in their third Scripps National Spelling Bee.
- There are spellers from all 50 states. Texas has the largest representation with 21 national competitors. Ohio and California rank second largest with 15 each, followed by Illinois with 14.
- Eleven qualifiers are from outside the 50 United States, representing the Bahamas, Canada, Germany, Ghana, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and Puerto Rico.
“Bee Week is a truly unforgettable experience, combining the thrill and accomplishment of onstage competition with the joy of making lifelong connections offstage,” said Corrie Loeffler, executive director of the Scripps National Spelling Bee in a statement.
She continued, “This year, the Bee will continue its tradition of capturing hearts and inspiring big dreams with a refreshed look: We’ve updated our logo with a new design that’s both bold and playful – indicative of the Bee spirit at every level of competition. New, vibrant branding will be woven throughout the halls of the Gaylord and across the TV programming. Fans watching along at home will see some familiar faces featured on spellingbee.com and this year’s broadcasts, celebrating what makes the Bee so captivating: our spellers.”
The final round of the 2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee airs live on Thursday, June 1 at 8 p.m. Eastern time on ION.
