AT&T has reached a long-term retrans renewal deal with News-Press & Gazette, ending a blackout of 18 stations in the DirecTV satellite platform.
"We have reached a multiyear agreement to restore our stations to the DirecTV system. Thank you for your patience and support as we worked through the negotiation,” the station group said on its website.
The deal was announced Saturday and the broadcast affiliates, which included a number of FOX and CBS stations, were restored in time for Sunday’s NFL Conference Championship games.
RELATED: News-Press & Gazette slams DirecTV for not negotiating in retrans fight
There was initial confusion as to whether the station group’s announcement merely constituted a short-term extension—AT&T had requested that earlier in the week so its viewers could watch the NFL games.
However, TV Predictions confirmed it was a long-term deal. No terms were announced.
RELATED: AT&T reaches retrans deal with Hearst, ends weeklong blackout of 33 stations
DirecTV followed a similar path with Hearst Television after its deal expired with the station group on Jan. 1. The impasse turned into a blackout of 33 stations on the satellite service as well as AT&T U-verse. But the two sides announced a long-term retrans deal on Jan. 9
DirecTV’s satellite rival, meanwhile, continues to work the negotiating tables with broadcasters. After coming to terms with Gray Television last week, Dish Network was blacked out on 12 Bonten Media Group stations in eight markets.