Mina Kimes takes over as Scripps National Spelling Bee host

ESPN NFL analyst Mina Kimes has been named the new television host of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, marking a significant change in the competition’s broadcast approach as organizers seek to revitalize viewer interest in the storied academic contest.

The announcement, made Tuesday, puts Kimes in the spotlight as the first celebrity host since LeVar Burton’s stint in 2022, when Scripps took over broadcasting duties from ESPN and began airing the competition on its own networks, ION and Bounce.

“My goal in this is to give it the big-game feel,” Kimes told The Associated Press. “Any event that requires skill and knowledge and preparation can have that feel if it’s presented with enough care and pride on television.”

The 101-year-old competition has faced declining viewership in recent years. According to Nielsen data, the combined audience for the primetime finals on ION and Bounce was 609,000 in 2022, 641,000 in 2023, before dipping to 461,000 in 2024 and rebounding slightly to 488,000 last year. By comparison, the bee drew over 1 million viewers on ESPN in 2012.

To combat this trend, Scripps has also brought in a new production team led by Michael Davies, the current executive producer of “Jeopardy!” whose credits include other successful shows like “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” and “Reading Rainbow.”

“We really need to focus the entire broadcast and everything we’re doing around the stakes of the competition and the incredible winning moment, the winning word that happens at the end of the final,” Davies explained to AP, adding that his goal is to “make it bigger and make it more famous.”

This year’s competition will take place May 26-28 at Constitution Hall in downtown Washington, a new venue for the event. The bee will feature 247 spellers competing for the trophy and more than $50,000 in cash and prizes.

Kimes, 40, brings her own spelling credentials to the role, having won school-level bees in the second, third, and fifth grades. The Yale-educated journalist is known for her meticulous research and analytical approach to NFL coverage, skills she believes will translate well to the spelling bee broadcast.

“It honestly does feel a little bit like watching game tape because I really think these kids are elite competitors,” Kimes said. “The way they get to the right answer is fascinating to me and the more you watch, the more you see the way their brains work. I see a lot of similarities to what I do with football.”

The National Spelling Bee represents the pinnacle of academic competition for many young students, who qualify by winning regional bees across the country. Eligibility is limited through eighth grade, meaning even the most talented spellers typically get only one or two chances to compete at the national level before aging out of the competition.

In recent years, Scripps had primarily relied on former spellers as hosts and commentators. The broadcast team will still include longtime analyst Paul Loeffler, a sports broadcaster and former speller whose sister, Corrie Loeffler, serves as the bee’s executive director.

The competition has evolved significantly over its century-long history, becoming not just an academic contest but a cultural touchstone that highlights the dedication, preparation, and remarkable abilities of young scholars from across the nation. Many participants train year-round with professional coaches to master the complex patterns and etymologies of English vocabulary.

With this latest broadcast overhaul, Scripps aims to reconnect with audiences and showcase the drama and excitement inherent in the competition, where a single misspelled word can end years of preparation and aspiration. Kimes’ appointment represents a strategic shift toward bringing mainstream sports broadcast sensibilities to the academic competition, potentially attracting new viewers while honoring the tradition and prestige of the venerable spelling contest.