In the final three months of 2023, a strategic plan commenced that was designed to position a Sinclair Inc. digital multicast network as an alternative to traditional sitcom-based multicast networks. This included the purchase of four key anchor series.
Come April 28, just in time for Upfront season, this diginet will have a new identity.
Introducing ROAR, presently known as TBD TV.
“The new name completes the network’s shift to broadcasting ground-breaking comedy franchises that deliver the funniest, most memorable, uproarious humor on TV,” Sinclair claims.
ROAR also promises advertisers and its viewing audience an “immersive brand experience.”
Digital multicast networks have been a struggle for some operators with respect to monetization. With cord-cutting, some argue that they are a perfect outlet for attracting viewers. However, programming has been erratic, and some viewers may not easily find a digital multicast channel if they don’t have cable television. Furthermore, some programming may be more easily found on free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channels.
Still, there are positives. Weigel Broadcasting’s MeTV brand is a big success, and Sinclair is among the companies enjoying scalable success with its digital television networks.
At the soon-to-be ROAR, acquiring second-run rights to classic episodes of Saturday Night Live, Whose Line is it Anyway, Key & Peele and Punk’d, paired with a distribution bump, helped to distinguish TBD TV from similar diginets. A January 2025 deal with FOX brought the diginet to FOX Television Stations in some of the nation’s largest DMAs.
Adam Ware, Sinclair’s SVP for its Growth Networks Group, commented, “The launch of
ROAR marks the completion of a plan we set in motion 14 months ago — to position the network as a clear alternative to the traditional sitcom-based multicast networks by broadcasting live, audience based, comedy franchises. The new identity truly reflects
the network’s energy and ambition for audiences and advertisers alike.”
