CBS and Sinclair Broadcast Group signed a multiyear affiliate renewal deal for four of its owned or operated stations.
The stations include:
- KUTV in Salt Lake City, Utah
- KEYE in Austin, Texas
- WSBT in South Bend, Indiana
- WGFL in Gainesville, Florida
Sinclair said the four renewed markets together serve more than two million households.
In all, Sinclair's CBS affiliates, which it runs in 24 markets including the ones covered by the new deal, serve more than nine million households.
The stations involved are renewing their participation in CBS All Access, and have committed to distribute Sinclair's CBS affiliates via the new YouTubeTV live television service in markets where the offering is available.
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The addition of YouTube TV to the distribution agreement for some of Sinclair’s CBS affiliates is likely a result of the agreement CBS and the CBS Affiliates Board reached in May regarding expanding local broadcast content availability across new digital platforms.
The new deal covers continued participation in CBS All Access and extends opportunities for local broadcasters to participate in virtual MVPDs like Hulu’s live TV, Google's YouTube TV and “future new entrants.” CBS said the deal includes “additional revenue possibilities for all.”
"Expanding distribution on these new platforms together with our affiliates has been a part of CBS' long-term digital strategy, and I am very proud we have reached this agreement with our affiliate board," said Ray Hopkins, president of television networks distribution at CBS, in a statement. "No broadcaster has made preserving the network-affiliate model a core tenet of their strategy like CBS. We look forward to continuing to work in partnership with our affiliates, and as these new forms of distribution continue to grow, including CBS All Access, so will our revenue together."
In addition to the renewed and expanded affiliates deal, the companies agreed to assign Tribune's CBS affiliation agreements to Sinclair upon planned closing of the proposed $3.9 billion merger of Sinclair and Tribune.
"We share CBS' enthusiasm for the renewal of these affiliation agreements and the other aspects of this deal," said Barry Faber, Sinclair's executive vice president for distribution and network relations, in a statement. "We believe that the network-affiliate model provides great benefits to both parties and are pleased to have the value of this symbiotic relationship continued to be reflected in our relationship."