Five More Years For Nexstar & ABC

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There will be no “great affiliate switches” in more than two dozen markets across the U.S. come New Year’s Rockin’ Eve 2022, allowing viewers of the long-running program to see it in its entirety without flipping channels as Auld Lang Syne is sang.


A new long-term network affiliation agreement will keep the ABC Television Network on 24 owned and/or operated Nexstar Media Group stations through Dec. 31, 2022.

Furthermore, Nexstar and ABC inked an all-important over-the-top “OTT” master agreement, allowing its affiliate stations to air on services from DirecTV Now, Sony PlayStation Vue, YouTube TV, CenturyLink and ABC’s TV Everywhere.

The deal encompasses the nine stations managed by Nexstar owned by Mission Broadcasting, Shield Media and Vaughn Media.

In prepared comments, Nexstar Chairman and President/CEO Perry Sook said, “We are delighted to reach this long-term extension of our affiliation agreements and forge OTT digital distribution agreements with ABC in a manner that mutually recognizes the value of our respective content offerings. As Nexstar grows, we continue to raise our commitment to support the evolving needs of the viewers, businesses and local communities that we serve each day by working with our network partners and distributors to deliver our content anywhere, anytime and on any device.”

Sook added that the new agreement with ABC supports Nexstar’s goals for creating a new revenue stream for Nexstar related to the OTT master agreement.”

ABC Affiliate Relations and Marketing EVP John Rouse added, “Nexstar has consistently delivered strong local programming and community service, which has complemented ABC’s leading network news, prime-time and sports programming. Our companies share a common goal of strengthening our audiences, advertisers and revenues and our new agreement with Nexstar is important to our mutual efforts.”

Nexstar’s 170 television stations reach some 39% of all U.S. television households and include NBC, CBS FOX, The CW and MyNetworkTV affiliates.