Sinclair Reups Nine NBC Affiliations

Sinclair Broadcast Group now has deals in place renewing NBC affiliations in five markets that expired Dec. 31, 2015. Also renewed were affiliations in four markets by the licensees of stations that Sinclair provides sales and other services to under joint sales agreements.

The markets being renewed include six of the 10 biggest markets where Sinclair either owns or provides services to an NBC station.

The stations owned by Sinclair being renewed are: WOAI San Antonio, Texas; WJAR Providence, R.I.-New Bedford, Mass.; WNWO Toledo, Ohio; WSTM Syracuse, N.Y.; WPBM-WTOM Traverse City/Cadillac, Mich.

The markets being renewed and in which Sinclair provides sales and other services to pursuant to a joint sales agreement are: WPMI Mobile, Ala.-Pensacola, Fla.; WEYI Flint-Saginaw-Bay City, Mich.; KMTR Eugene, Ore.; WNBW Gainesville, Fla.

The company’s remaining NBC affiliation agreements (including a station to which Sinclair provides services) do not expire until a later date.

Barry Faber, Sinclair’s EVP-general counsel, who oversees Sinclair’s relationships with its networks, said: “We are pleased to continue our relationship with NBC, a provider of popular entertainment and sports programming.

“This programming includes such great sports programming as the NFL, which is increasing on NBC this year as a result of their addition of Thursday night games, and both the winter and upcoming summer Olympics, top unscripted programming like The Voice, highly rated evening and morning news programming, great scripted shows including established favorites like Law & Order: SVU, as well as new hits like Blindspot, and the top latenight programming, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Late Night with Seth Meyers.

“We are confident that these renewals of these stations’ affiliation agreements will pay substantial dividends in both advertising sales and net retransmission consent revenues.”