Tegna Announces NBC Affiliate Renewal – Is It Trying to Tell DIRECTV Something?

By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –Follow on X.
Former editor of Satellite DIRECT magazine. Reported on DIRECTV for 30 years.

Tegna yesterday announced it has signed a new affiliation agreement with NBC to carry the network’s affiliate stations in 20 markets. Normally, such a renewal would not raise eyebrows, but it came 24 hours after Stream TV Insider reported that DIRECTV has tested the distribution of a national NBC feed as a possible replacement for Tegna-owned NBC stations. DIRECTV, DIRECTV Stream and U-verse have been without 64 Tegna-owned stations (including the NBC affiliates) since November 30 due to a carriage dispute.

There is no indication in the Tegna press release that the new NBC pact would preclude DIRECTV from offering a national NBC feed. But the timing of the NBC announcement is certainly noteworthy considering the Stream TV Insider report.

DIRECTV confirmed to Stream TV Insider that it has done some testing of a national feed as a replacement for Tegna but did not elaborate on whether the national network broadcasts will actually be offered to subscribers. The national feeds would not include local programming such as news shows but would include the network’s primetime lineup and live national sports broadcasts.

Cable and satellite providers are prohibited by law from offering local network affiliates outside of their designated territories but it’s unclear if the national feeds would be permitted on DIRECTV, DIRECTV Stream and U-verse. DIRECTV seems to think they would be and Tegna has not commented publicly on whether it would view the national feeds as legal.

The carriage dispute is now officially five weeks old with no settlement in sight.

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The TV Answer Man is veteran journalist Phillip Swann who has covered the TV technology scene for more than three decades. He will report on the latest news and answer your questions regarding new devices and services that are changing the way you watch television. See the bio for Phillip Swann here.