If you watch NBC‘s affiliate in markets such as Buffalo and Portland, Ore., you’re in no danger of facing any sort of channel change. The same can be said for NBC affiliates serving the Tampa Bay region and Columbus, Ohio.
That’s because the Peacock parent is starting 2021 with two valuable new affiliation agreements — with some of broadcast TV’s biggest players.
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Early Monday (1/4), Nexstar Media Group confirmed that it and its operating partners have come together to renew the existing NBC network affiliations for 33 DMAs across the U.S.
The agreement covers a total of 29 Nexstar O&Os and four stations Nexstar operates via Shared Service Agreements with other owners, in order to comply with the FCC’s current media ownership concentration rules.
The stations include former Media General, and Clear Channel Communications, NBC affiliate in Tampa, WFLA-8. Other stations include WCMH-4 in Columbus, Ohio; KXAN-36 in Austin; WOOD-8 in Grand Rapids; WAVY-10 in Norfolk; KSEE-24 in Fresno; and WBRE-28 in Scranton-Wilkes Barre.
“We are pleased to renew our affiliation with Nexstar Media Group to serve these 33 markets,” said Philip Martzolf, the president of NBC Affiliate Relations. “We have a strong partnership with Nexstar and look forward to our continued collaboration to bring NBC programming to millions of households across the country.”
Nexstar President/COO and CFO Tom Carter added that the company, the largest broadcast TV company in the U.S. by number of stations, is “delighted” to extend its partnership with NBC on a long-term basis.
The news came just two hours after TEGNA, the broadcast media company formerly known as Gannett, signed its own “comprehensive, multi-year deal” that renews station affiliation agreements for 20 DMAs.
The agreement includes renewals for WXIA-11 in Atlanta; KPNX-12 (and Flagstaff-based repeater KNAZ-2) in Phoenix; KING-5 in Seattle; KARE-11 in Minneapolis; KUSA-9 in Denver; WKYC-3 in Cleveland; KGW-8 in Portland, Ore.; WCNC-36 in Charlotte; KSDK-5 in St. Louis; WTHR-13 in Indianapolis; WTLV-12 in Jacksonville; WGRZ-2 in Buffalo; and affiliates serving Knoxville; Portland, Me.; Waco, Tex.; Boise, Idaho; Twin Falls, Idaho; Odessa-Midland, Tex.; Beaumont, Tex.; and Bangor, Me.
It’s a major agreement for Comcast and NBCUniversal: The 20 markets renewed cover 17% of the U.S. audience and nearly 21 million households, and TEGNA is the largest independent owner of NBC affiliates.
“We are proud of our longstanding partnership that serves our communities,” TEGNA President/CEO Dave Lougee said. “This new multi-year agreement allows our stations to continue providing consumers and advertisers with premium network content such as TODAY, Sunday Night Football and the Tokyo Olympic Games. We value our collaboration, which enables us to provide must-have national content alongside our award-winning local news, weather and sports.”
