American Television Alliance Statement on Potential Nexstar Media Group TV Blackout for Verizon Customers

Subscribers Set to Lose Key News Programming, NFL Games as Deadline Approaches

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, The American Television Alliance (ATVA) released a statement in response to Nexstar Media Group’s decision to hold 14 stations for ransom across 10 markets while demanding exorbitant retransmission consent fee increases for programming that is free over the air. 

“As families and friends gather to watch Sunday Football, Big Broadcasters are preparing to pull the plug on thousands of pay-TV customers. Rather than watching local news, sports and weather, consumers may soon see a black screen,” said ATVA spokesman Hunter Wilson. “Nexstar Media Group is currently demanding exorbitant retransmission consent fee hikes, using a potential television blackout as ‘deal leverage.’ Clearly, they are more interested in extracting huge profits from pay-TV consumers than giving people the programming they’re already paying for.”

The TV blackout could impact Verizon customers in Providence, R.I., Albany, N.Y., Buffalo, N.Y., Syracuse, N.Y., New York, N.Y., Harrisburg, Pa., Philadelphia, Pa., Washington, D.C., Richmond, Va., and Norfolk, Va., jeopardizing their access to regular programs, news and sporting events that they care about, including upcoming NFL games such as the Kansas City Chiefs at the Buffalo Bills (CBS Buffalo) and the Atlanta Falcons at the New England Patriots (CBS Providence).

For decades, Big Broadcasters have been charging cable and satellite providers and their customers to access local stations, often unilaterally removing channels from TV lineups and blacking out content until TV providers agree to pay more. When blackouts finally end, consumers get their programming back, often at a higher cost.

Big Broadcasters have levied more than 2,400 TV blackouts and increased retransmission consent fees by an overwhelming 2,000 percent since 2010. American consumers continue to pay the price for outdated regulations, allowing broadcasters to continuously weaponize TV blackouts, deliberately targeting live sports and other must-see TV.

ATVA stands ready to work with Congress to modernize dated regulations that turn sizable profits for Big Broadcasters at the expense of consumers. To learn more about outdated broadcast regulations and their impact on the American consumer, visit https://americantelevisionalliance.org/about-the-issue/.