DIRECTV Wins $26.6 Million Lawsuit Against Nexstar: Will Mission Local Channels Return?

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

TV Answer Man, I see that DIRECTV just won a big lawsuit against Nexstar. Does that mean they will bring back the Mission local channels now? – Ian, Albany, New York.

Ian, that’s a great question. DIRECTV last Thursday was awarded a $26.6 million judgment against local broadcaster Nexstar when a New York court ruled that Nexstar in 2016 improperly received $10 million in carriage fees from DIRECTV. The judge agreed that Nexstar failed to disclose to DIRECTV that a Maryland local station had lost its NBC status when the TV provider agreed to pay fees equivalent with that station being a network affiliate.

How Does This Lawsuit Affect the Mission Stations?
DIRECTV has been missing more than two dozen Mission Broadcasting stations since October 2022 due to a separate carriage dispute. The satcaster has charged that Nexstar, which manages but does not own the Mission stations, has orchestrated the Mission blackout. DIRECTV has suggested that a settlement with Mission is tied to its legal action against Nexstar.

So, it’s not surprising that viewers in markets where a local affiliate is owned by Mission Broadcasting would think that the $26.6 million judgment will allow DIRECTV to resume carrying the Mission stations. But that is not the case. DIRECTV has actually filed two lawsuits against Nexstar:

1. The carriage fee case
The one that just led to the $26.6 million judgment.

2. The antitrust lawsuit
A lawsuit that accuses Nexstar of violating antitrust law by allegedly forcing local stations owned by Mission and White Knight Broadcasting to demand high carriage rates and then remove their signals if DIRECTV did not comply.

The DIRECTV antitrust lawsuit against Nexstar was dismissed in federal court in the spring of 2024, but the satcaster is trying to revive it with the aid of the U.S. Department of Justice which filed a brief in favor of it being reinstated. Until that lawsuit comes to a conclusion, it’s likely that the Mission and White Knight stations will remain blacked out on DIRECTV. They are collateral damage in the DIRECTV vs. Nexstar war.

Further complicating the situation: Nexstar is expected to appeal the $26.6 million judgment in the Maryland station case.

What’s Next For DIRECTV Subscribers?
Ian, The TV Answer Man will continue to monitor this situation, but as of now, it appears that a settlement for the Mission and White Knight stations is not imminent.

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The TV Answer Man is veteran journalist Phillip Swann who has covered television 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.