The agreement will bring the classic movie diginet to 33 new markets including Minneapolis, Pittsburgh and St. Louis, boosting its U.S. clearance to nearly 70%.
GetTV Signs Big Affiliation Deal With Sinclair
GetTV, Sony Pictures Television Networks’ multicast network, significantly increased its national distribution footprint today, announcing a deal with Sinclair Broadcast Group that adds 33 TV markets to the classic movie diginet’s affiliate roster.
GetTV, which launched in February on 23 Univision-owned stations, is paying for carriage, leasing time on stations. Most of the high-profile digital networks like Me-TV, This TV, Bounce and Antenna have opted to partner with affiliates, sharing the advertising inventory.
With this agreement, the network’s clearance level is close to 70% of U.S. television households, upping its current reach almost 20%, since the channel’s debut four months ago.
GetTV has now completed deals covering 65 total television markets, including 40 of the top 50.
Launch dates for the 33 SBG station affiliates will be staggered throughout the summer and, it says, are slated to be completed before the end of September.
“The response for GetTV, from both our station partners and the public at large, has been overwhelmingly positive,” said Andy Kaplan, president, worldwide networks, SPT. “By gaining such major distributors as Sinclair Broadcast Group, it is evident that the marketplace is supporting our channel, a solid sign that getTV is a vibrant business and consumer proposition.”
BRAND CONNECTIONS
“We are excited to add GetTV to our channel line-up,” commented David Amy, SBG’s EVP-COO. “We believe there is audience demand in our markets for such movie classics as those offered by getTV, and we are pleased to fulfill that local need.”
GetTV presents classic Hollywood films of all genres, including Academy Award®-winning films, dramas, romances, Westerns and comedies.
Comments (4)
Colin MacCourtney says:
June 23, 2014 at 11:12 am
While the programming may be “in the air” over the heads of 70% of US TV Households, it will only be in the living rooms of the 10-15% of those households that use OTA service and don’t subscribe to cable or satellite.
We still don’t have any type of “Must Carry” for digital sub-channels.
Ellen Samrock says:
June 23, 2014 at 11:52 am
According to the GfK survey over 19% of US households are exclusively OTA viewers. Plus there are an unaccounted number of 2nd TVs that are connected to antennas as well as satellite subscribers who use UHF/VHF antennas to watch local channels. The 10% estimate is the CEA’s “let’s pull a number out of our posterior orifice to prove our point” figure.
Patrick Schooley says:
June 23, 2014 at 11:40 am
The cable companies in my area carry the sub-channels. The Satellite companies still do not.
Kristine Melser says:
June 23, 2014 at 9:38 pm
Ditto, the local cable company carries Bounce, Antenna, Me and This in my area and they are all next to each other on the dial, further from the main networks but together. I also have a 2nd TV with antenna only. The digital channels often have better content airing than cable nets they air so a little informative negotiation should help.