An interesting aspect of NFL game discussions on broadcast television is the perception that broadcast networks are “free.” While they are accessible for those who invest in a $10-20 digital antenna in areas with adequate signal strength, they are far from free in multichannel video programming distributor (MVPD) packages. The retransmission fees for including their signals in MVPD packages—cable, satellite, or virtual options like YouTube TV—are vital for many local broadcast affiliates. With MVPD packages continuing to serve as a primary access point for numerous viewers of these “free” channels, local affiliate carriage disputes remain critical, such as the recently resolved conflict between Nexstar, the largest owner of U.S. local broadcast affiliates with 197 stations, and Optimum’s parent company, Altice.
Last Friday, 63 of Nexstar’s stations in 42 markets went dark on Optimum due to this carriage dispute. This issue also affected Nexstar’s national outlet, NewsNation, and their owned-and-operated CW affiliates (which they control 75 percent). With Nexstar affiliates spanning ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC, many viewers were disturbed last weekend while trying to catch the NFL Wild-Card Round playoffs. Fortunately, just before the Divisional Round games—featuring Travis Kelce and the Chiefs facing the Houston Texans on ABC and ESPN this Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET—the two entities reached an agreement. They released a succinct joint statement confirming the deal:
Nexstar Media Group, Inc. and Altice USA today announced that they have reached a comprehensive partnership agreement and all Nexstar programming has been restored to Altice USA’s Optimum TV customers.
Together, Nexstar and Optimum thank our customers and viewers for their patience as we partnered on the best deal for them.
This is just one of many carriage disputes for both parties. Earlier in 2023, Nexstar channels were unavailable on DirecTV for over two months before a deal was eventually reached. Meanwhile, Optimum continues to embroil in a dispute with MSG, marked by fiery exchanges. Resolving the Nexstar-Optimum conflict was crucial due to the upcoming weekend of divisional playoffs airing on all four broadcast networks. For those with Optimum who rely on this MVPD, rather than an antenna or streaming service, access to the NFL playoffs just became significantly easier.
