TEGNA‘s flagship television station has scored an exclusive partnership with the National Football League club formerly known as the Redskins, a move local management says solidifies its position as the National Capital Region’s official TV station of the NFL team.
The new agreement with the Washington Commanders means WUSA9, the CBS affiliate serving Washington D.C.; Virginia; and Maryland; will launch two exclusive new shows, “Commanders Kick-Off” and “Commanders Weekly.”
The pre-game show will be hosted by the station’s Chick Hernandez and Wisdom Martin and air each Sunday from 11:30am-Noon, starting with the 2024 season.
“Commanders Weekly” will highlight how the Commanders are leading by example and making a positive impact in the DMV community. Hernandez will host the program, scheduled to air on Thursdays from 7pm-7:30pm.
Richard Dyer, WUSA9’s President/GM and TEGNA’s SVP of Media Operations, commented, “Great relationships are the foundation of great partnerships. For the past year we’ve been
working closely with the Commanders by airing team programming, verifying reporting on every aspect of the coaching staff and draft process, and spotlighting their work in the community. We are excited to further build on our partnership in the coming years.”
Additionally, as part of the agreement, WUSA9 will air the Commanders’ first two preseason games — against the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with WUSA9 to drive greater engagement with the team and create a broadcast television home for fans looking for more in-depth coverage of all things Commanders,” said Jim Rushton, Chief Partnerships Officer for the Commanders. “Our overall goal is to provide access to original and exclusive content for Commanders fans wherever, whenever, and however they want to consume that content on Game Day and throughout the year. We appreciate the work that the entire team at WUSA9 has dedicated to its coverage of the Commanders and look forward to building on this relationship.”
