The CW Network and Sinclair Expand and Extend Affiliation Partnership
The CW Network Adds New Affiliate Stations with Launch of CW Programming on KOMO-TV in Seattle and WPNT-TV in Pittsburgh
Multi-Year Agreement Extends CW Station Affiliations Across 35 US Markets
BURBANK, CA (Aug. 31, 2023)— The CW Network (The CW) and Sinclair Broadcast Group, LLC (Sinclair) today announced a multi-year deal that renews affiliations across 35 markets, including 10 markets in which Sinclair provides sales and other services to a CW-affiliated station. In addition, beginning September 1, Sinclair will launch The CW on two new affiliate stations, KOMO-TV, in Seattle, Washington, and WPNT-TV in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – both stations currently broadcast LIV Golf and will expand carriage to include the entire CW Programming offering. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
“With The CW’s first-ever ACC college football game featuring the Pittsburgh Panthers and the Cincinnati Bearcats in primetime on September 9, we are pleased to be adding WPNT-TV in Pittsburgh and KOMO-TV in Seattle to our affiliate group,” said Dennis Miller, President of The CW Network. “We appreciate that Sinclair values their partnership with The CW as we remake the network with our significant investment in sports, combined with a smart entertainment programming strategy that will further expand viewership on a local and national level.”
“We are pleased to be continuing our long relationship with The CW Network and look forward to bringing our stations in Seattle and Pittsburgh into the CW family,” said Rob Weisbord, Sinclair’s COO and President of Local Media. “We thank our distribution team for securing the renewal of our affiliate agreement, which includes rights that allow us to negotiate with virtual MVPDs for CW-affiliated stations.”
About The CW Network
The CW Network, LLC is one of America’s major broadcast networks and reaches 100% of US television households. The CW delivers 14 hours of primetime entertainment programming per week in addition to over 300 hours of sports per year as the broadcast home to LIV Golf, ACC football and basketball games, and the NASCAR Xfinity Series beginning in 2025. The fully ad-supported CW App, with more than 96 million downloads to date, is available for free to consumers on all major platforms and is home to the latest episodes and seasons of The CW’s primetime programming, live streaming of LIV Golf tournaments and a library of entertaining film and television content for on-demand viewing. The CW is 75%-owned by Nexstar Media Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: NXST), a leading diversified media company and largest CW affiliate group with 37 CW affiliates, covering 32% of the population. For more information about The CW, please visit www.cwtv.com.
About Sinclair, Inc.
Sinclair Inc., (Nasdaq: SBGI) is a diversified media company and a leading provider of local news and sports. The Company owns, operates and/or provides services to 185 television stations in 86 markets affiliated with all the major broadcast networks; owns Tennis Channel and multicast networks Comet, CHARGE! and TBD; and owns and provides services to 21 regional sports network brands. Sinclair’s content is delivered via multiple platforms, including over-the-air, multi-channel video program distributors, and the nation’s largest streaming aggregator of local news content, NewsON. The Company regularly uses its website as a key source of Company information which can be accessed at www.sbgi.net.
CW Media Contact:
Beth Feldman
646/563-8334
Beth.Feldman@cwtv.com
Sinclair, Inc., Media Contact:
Jessica Bellucci
Jbellucci-c@sbgtv.com
Sinclair Investor Contacts:
Chris King – VP, Investor Relations
chrisking@sbgtv.com
Billie-Jo McIntire – AVP, Investor Relations
bjmcintire@sbgtv.com
Nexstar Media Contact:
Gary Weitman
EVP & Chief Communications Officer
972/373-8800 (office)
gweitman@nexstar.tv
Nexstar Investor Contact:
Joseph Jaffoni
JCIR
212/835-8500 or nxst@jcir.com
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