How To Watch The Scripps National Spelling Bee

Faizan Zaki, a 13-year-old speller from Dallas, Texas, won the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee after coming in second place in 2024.AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, FileWASHINGTON (AP) — The best young spellers in the English language are competing at the Scripps National Spelling Bee this week, continuing a more than century-old tradition.

The three-day competition begins Tuesday and concludes Thursday night.The first bee was held in 1925, when the Louisville Courier-Journal invited other newspapers to host spelling bees and send their champions to Washington.After a long run at a convention center in suburban Maryland, the bee returns to the nation’s capital this year at Constitution Hall, a few blocks from the White House.Advertisement Another change for this year: ESPN NFL analyst and recent “Celebrity Jeopardy!” champion Mina Kimes has joined the bee as its television host.This is the 98th bee; it was canceled from 1943 to 1945 because of World War II and again in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year’s champion will be the 111th, because the bee ended in a two-way tie several times and an eight-way tie in 2019.Thirty of the past 36 champions have been of Indian heritage, including last year’s winner, Faizan Zaki.Advertisement How can I watch the Scripps National Spelling Bee?The bee is broadcast and streamed on channels and platforms owned by Scripps, a Cincinnati-based media company.On Tuesday, preliminary rounds will stream on Scripps Sports Network and spellingbee.com from 8 a.m.to 3 p.m.

EDT.Wednesday’s quarterfinals will stream on Scripps Sports Network and spellingbee.com from 8 a.m.to 1 p.m.

and semifinals can be watched on those platforms from 2:30 p.m.to 6:30 p.m.

Tape-delayed semifinals broadcast on ION from 8 p.m.to 10 p.m.Advertisement Finals will broadcast Thursday on ION from 8 p.m.

to 10 p.m.The semifinals and finals will also air or be streamed on these Scripps-owned channels or services: ION P...