A fresh agreement between The Walt Disney Company and two of the country’s biggest local broadcast owners, Nexstar Media Group and Sinclair Broadcast Group, ensures ABC programming stays on the air. That includes late-night staple “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”, along with other major shows and sporting events, which means viewers won’t be facing the disruption of a blackout. For millions of households, this deal secures uninterrupted access to ABC’s lineup of entertainment, news, and live sports.
Key Takeaways
- Disney, which owns ABC, has finalized a new multi-year distribution deal with Nexstar and Sinclair.
- The agreement allows both companies to continue carrying ABC content on their locally-owned stations.
- As a result, audiences will keep seeing shows such as “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and “Grey’s Anatomy,” as well as big-ticket sports broadcasts, without interruption.
- At the center of the deal are retransmission consent fees. These are payments made by local station owners to networks like Disney in order to carry their programming.
This new deal closes out a period of negotiations over broadcast rights. In the U.S., the system works like this: networks such as ABC create the content, but they rely on local affiliates to bring that content into individual markets. Nexstar is ABC’s largest affiliate partner, owning dozens of stations, while Sinclair also operates several ABC affiliates in different regions.
These kinds of negotiations matter more than viewers might realize. They’re often about money, and when both sides can’t reach an agreement, programming can suddenly disappear. That’s what’s known as a blackout, where an ABC channel could simply go dark in certain markets.
The impact of such blackouts can be significant. It’s not just about missing out on late-night comedy. ABC is the broadcast home for the NBA Finals, college football, and the Academy Awards. Losing access to those events would frustrate plenty of viewers. This agreement means those audiences, at least in areas covered by Nexstar and Sinclair affiliates, won’t face that kind of interruption.
It’s also worth noting that this kind of standoff isn’t unusual in the industry. In 2023, a very public dispute between Disney and Charter Communications resulted in nearly 15 million cable customers losing ESPN and ABC for a stretch of time. By comparison, the successful outcome with Nexstar and Sinclair reflects an effort by all parties to avoid a repeat of that kind of disruption and keep programming on the air.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What companies were involved in this agreement?
A: The agreement was between The Walt Disney Company, which owns the ABC network, and two large local station owners, Nexstar Media Group and Sinclair Broadcast Group.
Q2: Why was “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” at risk of being removed?
A: “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” is an ABC show. If Disney (ABC’s owner) could not agree on broadcast fees with local station owners Nexstar and Sinclair, Disney could have legally stopped them from airing all ABC content, including Jimmy Kimmel’s show.
Q3: What is a carriage dispute?
A: A carriage dispute is a disagreement over the terms and fees for carrying a television channel. In this case, it was about the price Nexstar and Sinclair would pay Disney to broadcast the ABC network on their local stations.
Q4: Who are Nexstar and Sinclair?
A: Nexstar Media Group and Sinclair Broadcast Group are two of the largest companies in the United States that own local television stations. While a channel might be known as the local “ABC station,” it is often owned and operated by one of these independent groups.
Q5: Are other ABC shows also safe?
A: Yes, the agreement covers the entire ABC broadcast network. This means other popular shows, news programs, and live sports telecasts on ABC are also secured for viewers on Nexstar and Sinclair stations.
