Escape Network Rebrands As Court TV Mystery, With Lineup Including ‘The First 48’

Dade Hayes

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Escape, an established multicast network owned by E.W. Scripps’ Katz Networks, will rebrand itself as Court TV Mystery on September 30.

According to the official announcement of the move, the rebrand will “continue the mission of Escape,” which targets women 25 to 54 with true-crime-focused programming.

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Escape is currently available in 103.5 million homes, or 94% of the U.S. TV footprint. Multicast networks, have become a burgeoning sector, emerging from the TV industry’s transition to high-definition signals several years ago, which unlocked new broadcast spectrum capacity.

Katz owns several other multicast networks and last May revived Court TV, an early pioneer known for its gavel-to-gavel coverage of the trials of O.J. Simpson and many others. As a sister network to Court TV, Court TV Mystery will feature a lineup of mainstays like The First 48, Forensic Files, American Greed, FBI Files, Crime Watch Daily and Unsolved Mysteries. (Check out the sizzle reel for the new network above.)

“Court TV Mystery will continue to focus on true-crime programming but will now be powered by one of the most recognizable brands in television history,” Katz Networks CEO Jonathan Katz said. “While increasing consumer recognition, aligning the two networks also creates increased marketing and co-promotional strength and the ability to naturally share content.”

Katz noted that Court TV has started producing true-crime documentaries and docu-series that leverage the 100,000 hours of footage in the original network’s library. “This compelling content will premiere on Court TV then have a home on Court TV Mystery, giving the millions of consumers who are hungry for the real-life drama of true-crime programming more opportunities to watch and enjoy it,” Katz said.

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