128-583: Venu Sports , or simply Venu ( / ˈ v ɛ n j u / ), is a proposed sports -focused streaming service in the United States , to be operated as a joint venture between the Walt Disney Company (via its majority-owned subsidiary ESPN Inc. ), Fox Corporation (owner of Fox Sports ), and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD, owner of TNT Sports ). Announced on February 6, 2024, it was originally scheduled to launch by fall 2024, with each of
256-468: A preliminary injunction to block the venture's launch after FuboTV filed an antitrust lawsuit against the partners. The service is expected to function similarly to a virtual MVPD in that it will carry almost all of the three companies' English-language U.S. linear broadcast and cable channels that offer sports content, including local stations and affiliates of the ABC and Fox broadcast networks (subject to
384-496: A shared services agreement . The sale was completed on December 1, 2014. In 2015, Nexstar sold off the licensee assets of WLYH-TV , the CW affiliate to Howard Stirk Holdings . On March 13, 2014, Nexstar announced that it would purchase Internet Broadcasting, for $ 20 million. The company had also recently acquired competitor Inergize Digital through its purchase of assets from Newport Television, followed by Enterprise Technology Group,
512-527: A sportscast ) is the live coverage of sports as a television program , on radio , and other broadcasting media. It usually involves one or more sports commentators describing events as they happen. Sportscaster's environment is usually in booth, sets, and radio and television studios. Depending on the sportscasters specific job it is a time sensitive job, especially when depending on a play by play, they cannot miss any action, and due to their job they have to be flexible with schedule. Sports broadcasters have
640-449: A MW opt-out on BBC Radio 2 , The launch of Radio 5 in 1990 saw a huge increase in the level of coverage on BBC Radio. Radio 5 became BBC Radio 5 Live in 1994 and the station, which combines live news and sport, provides round-the-clock coverage of sport through both live commentary and sports news and discussion. Live cricket commentary is broadcast on 5 Live's digital sports channel BBC 5 Sports Extra. This includes cricket coverage which
768-562: A MyNetworkTV-affiliated subchannel of NBC affiliate WISE-TV on August 1. The network also moved its affiliation in Springfield, Missouri from KSFX-TV (operated in a duopoly with area CBS affiliate KOLR ) to upstart MyNetworkTV affiliate KRBK on September 1, 2011, with both stations becoming independents . Nexstar chose to drop Fox from WFXW in Terre Haute, Indiana and re-affiliate with ABC on September 1, 2011 (becoming
896-464: A basic cable channel, it had developed a stable of sports broadcasts ranging from major leagues to oddities. ESPN has since grown into a massive multiplexed network, with several channels and a large news bureau that has led to the network bestowing the title of "Worldwide Leader in Sports" upon itself. Cable, and later digital cable and satellite, greatly expanded the number of channels (and, by extension,
1024-508: A consolidated case, also noting that the constitutional basis for such a law had not been proven. No such laws have been passed since. Since then, sports have been a lucrative source of revenue in the U.S. pay television industry, including mainstream networks such as ESPN , as well as channels devoted to specific sports, leagues, and college sports conferences. These networks receive revenue from both advertising and carriage fees charged to television providers (and passed onto consumers as part of
1152-449: A corporate reorganization, under which its primary subsidiaries of Nexstar Broadcasting and Nexstar Digital were merged into the operating subsidiary Nexstar, Inc. A carriage dispute with Dish Network began on December 2, 2020, and ended by Christmas Eve , which resulted in the removal of at least 164 Nexstar stations in 115 markets, covering about 63-percent of TV homes, from its services. On December 16, 2020, Nexstar announced it
1280-401: A definitive agreement" to acquire 75-percent ownership in the network, while Paramount and WBD would each retain 12.5-percent ownership. Based on media industry reports, Nexstar would reportedly assume "a significant portion" of the network's current losses. The deal did not require regulatory approval, but had to perform financial closure conditions at the company's fiscal third quarter, i.e. by
1408-428: A few companies provide the service. In 1911, more than 1,000 people gathered in downtown Lawrence, Kansas to watch a mechanical reproduction of the 1911 Kansas vs. Missouri football game while it was being played. A Western Union telegraph wire was set up direct from Columbia, Missouri . A group of people then would announce the results of the previous play and used a large model of a football playing field to show
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#17327871280491536-659: A field sport anywhere in Europe was when Paddy Mehigan covered the All-Ireland Hurling Semi-Final between Kilkenny and Galway on 29 August 1926. This game is credited with being the first mainly because the BBC was prevented from broadcasting sporting events before 7.00pm as a means of protecting British newspaper sales. Originally there was no sports department for Irish radio. Gaelic Games and live commentary were very popular with Irish radio. One prominent figure
1664-577: A fixture of Canadian television since the CBC's debut in 1952. From 1962 (one year after the debut of CTV ) through 2007, there were two separate CFL contracts: one for CBC, and one for CTV (or a sister channel such as cable outlet TSN ). Terrestrial television broadcasts of CFL games ended in 2008, when TSN acquired exclusive TV rights to the league. American sports broadcasts are widely available in Canada, both from Canadian stations and from border blasters in
1792-529: A football game, that were trying to learn of a play via telegraph, but wasn't official because no one was present. Ten years later in 1921 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the first radio broadcasting event occurred of a boxing match. Then the first televised sporting event occurred 1939, which was the summer olympics in the United States. In 1951, the first sports color telecast was a baseball game between
1920-482: A four-way bundle with Venu. Early reports indicated that the regular price per month would be higher than US$ 30, and likely at least $ 45, slotting it between the prices of some standalone regional sports streaming services like NESN 360 (in the $ 20-$ 30 range) and larger cable-style vMVPD packages like YouTube TV (which start at around $ 75). On August 1, 2024, the launch price was announced as being $ 42.99 per month; this price would be guaranteed for twelve months from
2048-409: A joint venture between former national telecommunications monopoly BT Group and Warner Bros. Discovery . There is also a dedicated UK version of Eurosport , called British Eurosport, and Viaplay Sports , which replaced Premier Sports in 2022, also broadcasts live and recorded sports coverage. National and local media both serve major roles in broadcasting sports in the United States . Depending on
2176-466: A locally broadcast high school football game can be heard worldwide on any device with an audio output and an Internet connection. Individual leagues (including major ones) all have subscription services that allow subscribers to watch their sporting events for a fee. One of the first live sporting events in the U.S. to be streamed was the Ohio State spring football game in 2001 by WBNS-TV . The game
2304-470: A merger with) a termination fee of $ 60 million and gave Meredith right of first refusal to acquire any broadcast or digital properties that may be divested during the purchase. The deal also included contingent value rights for Media General shareholders if it sold spectrum from its stations during the FCC's spectrum incentive auction (a clause that Meredith did not exercise). On May 27, 2016, Nexstar announced
2432-483: A part of researching their sports history and knowing game statistics. Studying sports and using facts is needed in their job and making the games exciting and entertaining. Perhaps the first sports broadcast was by Guglielmo Marconi , who broadcast the 1899 America's Cup from New York Harbor . The first ever prerecorded sportscast occurred in 1911 in Kansas. The first recording had a group of people recreate plays of
2560-428: A partnership between 21st Century Fox and private equity firm Blackstone Group . However, on May 8, 2017, it was announced that Tribune reached a deal to be acquired by Sinclair Broadcast Group . On May 26, 2017, it was reported by DealReporter that Nexstar might be considering a bid to acquire Tegna Inc. , although such a deal would likely require significant divestments due to ownership conflicts and exceeding
2688-412: A partnership with SportsGrid Inc. to offer the latter's sports betting - and fantasy sports -focused FAST streaming channel SportsGrid as a digital multicast network starting September 1, 2021. A new digital subchannel network, Rewind TV , was launched on September 1, 2021, featuring classic TV shows from the 1980s and 1990s. The Wall Street Journal reported on January 5, 2022, that Nexstar
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#17327871280492816-607: A primary affiliation of one station to joining an existing MyNetworkTV-affiliated digital subchannel of a competing Big Three station, with MyNetworkTV going to a secondary affiliation: in Evansville , Fox moved from WTVW (which then became an independent station and later joined the CW ) to a MyNetworkTV-affiliated subchannel of CBS affiliate WEVV-TV on July 1, while in Fort Wayne , the Fox affiliation moved from WFFT-TV to
2944-470: A principal of Superior Communications, who owned the WDKY property, making the sale to Nexstar a homecoming of sorts. WDKY's transaction was completed on September 17, 2020. On September 28, 2015, Nexstar announced that it had presented an unsolicited offer to buy Media General for $ 4.1 billion (including debt). Per share, shareholders of Media General would receive $ 10.50 in cash and 0.0898 shares of Nexstar,
3072-421: A reputation for carrying a large number of college football bowl games in an era when televised college football was highly restricted. Modern syndication networks still exist for sporting events, such as Raycom Sports and American Sports Network , both of which specialize in college sports. The debut of ESPN in 1979 revolutionized the broadcasting of sports events. Within several years of ESPN's founding as
3200-641: A separate deal worth $ 350 million. Nexstar made the transactions to pay down debt and consolidate operations in the Southeast. The sale closed on March 2, 2020. As part of a settlement between the parties in litigation over the failed deal, Sinclair had to sell WDKY-TV in Lexington, Kentucky , and the non-license assets of KGBT-TV in Harlingen, Texas , to Nexstar Media Group for $ 60 million on January 27, 2020. The company's founder, Perry Sook, had once been
3328-1006: A spun-off joint venture between LIN Media and Fox Television Stations . The providers were merged to form Lakana, led by former ETG CEO Phillip Hyun. On October 23, 2014, Nexstar bought out KASW in Phoenix from SagamoreHill Broadcasting and Meredith Corporation , and it was completed on January 30, 2015. On February 2, 2015, Nexstar finalized its acquisition of Yashi , a location-focused, video-advertising and programmatic-technology company, for $ 33 million. On November 17, 2015, Nexstar announced its intent to purchase West Virginia Media Holdings ' stations ( WOWK-TV in Charleston, WBOY-TV in Clarksburg, WVNS-TV in Ghent, and WTRF-TV in Wheeling) for $ 130 million. The company took over
3456-717: A telegraph line was connected to the Victoria Rink in Montreal to update fans in Winnipeg of the Stanley Cup challenge series between Montreal and Winnipeg ice hockey teams. In 1923, the first radio broadcast of an ice hockey game took place on 8 February, with the broadcast of the third period of a game between Midland and North Toronto of the Ontario Hockey Association . Later that month,
3584-434: A total equivalent of $ 14.50 per share. Nexstar's offer was seen by analysts as a maneuver to torpedo the merger of Media General with Meredith Corporation (announced on September 8). If Media General agreed to the counteroffer within a 20-day period, Nexstar would expand its portfolio to 114 television stations, pending spinoffs in markets where both own stations and federal approval. On November 16, Media General rejected
3712-407: A traditional cable or satellite TV package, or an existing mainstream virtual MVPD such as FuboTV or YouTube TV . This has been disputed by some existing TV providers, which have argued the launch of Venu will directly result in fewer subscriptions to their services. Government officials have also raised concerns about the venture's impact on competition. On August 16, 2024, a federal judge granted
3840-405: A variety of sections to deliver footage and their job can provide postgame coverage and interviews with athletes and coaches. Sports casting is a big industry throughout the United States and worldwide. Anything sports related, whether it's reading, watching, and hearing is a type of way sports broadcasting is in media. Sports broadcasters do more than just voice over plays and matches, they must be
3968-736: Is a partnership between the Washington Nationals and Baltimore Orioles . The Longhorn Network , in which ESPN owned a stake, was even more specialized, designed as an outlet for the athletic program of the University of Texas at Austin (although it has also aired football games of the UT system's San Antonio campus ). Team-owned channels are also common in Europe, most notably Barça TV , Benfica TV , Galatasaray TV , Manchester United TV , Liverpool TV and Real Madrid TV . Nexstar Media Group Nexstar Media Group, Inc.
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4096-481: Is also aired on the long wave frequencies of BBC Radio 4. BBC Local Radio provides extensive coverage of sport, giving more exposure to second-tier football clubs which would otherwise receive limited national coverage. The BBC's main commercial rival is Talksport , but this has not acquired anywhere near as many exclusive contracts as Sky Sports and instead dedicates much of its airtime to sports discussions and phone-ins. The first sporting event to be televised in
4224-627: Is also broadcast on terrestrial TV in Canada, while the CFL no longer is (the CFL is broadcast only on cable in the United States); the simultaneous substitution benefits are not extended to cable stations. For the purposes of regional sports broadcasting , the Toronto Blue Jays and Toronto Raptors both claim all of Canada as their "territory", allowing Blue Jays and Raptors games to be broadcast nationwide. The first live commentary on
4352-490: Is an American publicly traded media company with headquarters in Irving, Texas , Midtown Manhattan , and Chicago . The company is the largest television station owner in the United States, owning 197 television stations across the U.S., most of which are affiliated with the four "major" U.S. television networks and MyNetworkTV in markets as large as New York City and as small as San Angelo, Texas . It also operates all of
4480-506: Is available on a delay to a free-to-air broadcaster. In the United States, the Federal Communications Commission attempted to introduce similar restrictions on cable broadcasts of specific sporting events and recent films as to not cannibalize broadcast TV. In 1977, these restrictions were deemed to be invalid when a federal district court ruled that the FCC did not have the authority to make such decisions in
4608-605: The 1958 NFL Championship and the later establishment of the American Football League in 1960. Monday Night Football , NFL on Fox , and NBC Sunday Night Football have changed the landscape of American football broadcasts, including the scheduling of the Super Bowl , transforming it from an afternoon broadcast into a primetime spectacle. The price for the NFL's broadcast rights has increased steadily over
4736-693: The BBC on 29 March 1926, a British featherweight title defence by Johnny Curley , and 6 October 1927, when Teddy Baldock lost his claim to the British version of the World bantamweight title to South African Willie Smith. The first outdoor sports event broadcast in the United Kingdom was a Rugby Union international between England and Wales , broadcast from Twickenham in January 1927. Two weeks later
4864-759: The Electronic Frontier Foundation . The United States Department of Justice also stated that it plans to review the terms of the joint venture once it is finalized. Separately, Rep. Jerry Nadler , the ranking member of the United States House Committee on the Judiciary , and Rep. Joaquin Castro submitted a letter to Disney, Fox, and WBD on April 16 seeking answers on the impact the new service would have on competition and pricing. The owners were given two weeks from
4992-581: The European Commission disapproved of. Following warnings of legal action to stop the monopoly, an announcement was made that an alternative structure would be in place when the contract ended in 2007. In the United States , team sports are broadcast by networks usually only in "game of the week" or championship situations, except for the NFL (see NFL on television ) and motorsport. Other sports are broadcast by sports channels , and are limited by who can view them based on various rules set by
5120-889: The FIFA World Cup , Summer Olympic Games , Cricket World Cup , UEFA Champions League , UEFA European Championship , FA Cup , Tour de France , Rugby World Cup (rugby union), State Of Origin (rugby league), Indian Premier League , Wimbledon , NBA Finals , Stanley Cup , Super Bowl , World Series , and the FIA Formula One World Championship. TV Rights of the UEFA Champions League, per country. Season 2009-2010 , according to FootBiz. In some countries, broadcast regulations referred to as " anti-siphoning laws " exist in order to ensure that coverage of major sporting events of national importance—often covering major events such as
5248-687: The Raycom Media / Gray Television merger. In spring 2019, Nexstar launched Border Report , a website focusing on news stories from the Mexico–United States border . On November 5, 2019, it was announced that Nexstar would acquire Fox Television Stations -owned WJZY and MyNetworkTV outlet WMYT-TV in Charlotte, North Carolina for $ 45 million. In turn, it also announced that it would sell its duopoly of Seattle -based KCPQ and KZJO (along with Milwaukee -based WITI ) to FTS in
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5376-562: The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York , seeking either to block the venture entirely, or for the court to alternatively impose economic and licensing restrictions. Satellite TV providers DirecTV and Dish Network both filed briefs in support of Fubo's suit in April. A subsequent letter to congressional leaders requesting hearings into the service was co-signed by all three providers as well as groups including
5504-592: The United States Department of Justice approved the deal between Nexstar Media Group and Tribune Media. The merger was approved by the FCC on September 16, and would be consummated three days later. On January 15, 2020, Nexstar announced a national newscast called NewsNation on WGN America . The program launched September 1, 2020. On March 1, 2021, the WGN America channel was renamed NewsNation . On October 22, 2020, Nexstar underwent
5632-657: The "Newfoundland" portion after the dominion confederated into Canada in 1949) all the way to CBC's first national television broadcast (the first actual broadcast was on closed-circuit in Maple Leaf Gardens in Spring 1952) of Hockey Night in Canada in October 1952. Today it is consistently among the highest-rated programs in Canada. Broadcasting of the Canadian Football League has been
5760-487: The 1960s. For this reason, as well as the regional nature of the sport, televised NHL games have struggled to gain a foothold on American television for the past several decades, trailing the other leagues in ratings. After several decades of bouncing around various networks (and a stretch from 1975 to 1994 when the league had no permanent broadcast partner), the NHL established a stable broadcast partner in 2004, when NBC and what
5888-446: The 1990s) allowed the carriage of these networks' sporting events across the country. However, with the increased availability of sports to broadcast came increasing rights fees, which could be recovered by the newly authorized practice of collecting retransmission consent fees from cable subscribers, which has led to numerous disputes and the dropping of channels from cable lineups. Individual leagues began launching their own networks in
6016-460: The 2000s; specialty networks of other sports have had varying levels of success. One of the first live high-definition sports broadcasts in the U.S. took place in September 1998 in which a football game between Ohio State and West Virginia , aired on WBNS-TV . The station claims this to have been the first locally produced HD broadcast in the U.S.; however, as several other stations throughout
6144-649: The 22 October 1939 game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Brooklyn Dodgers . The same year, the first nationwide radio broadcast of an NFL championship game was carried on the Mutual Broadcasting System . While the NFL had weak television deals that ranked behind college football and even the Canadian Football League in the 1950s, the broadcast rights of the NFL would go on to become an important property following
6272-399: The BBC played a dominant role in televising sport, providing extensive high-quality advertisement free coverage and free publicity in exchange for being granted broadcast rights for low fees. ITV broadcast a smaller portfolio of events, and Channel 4 broadcast a few events from the 1980s, mainly horse races and so-called "minority sports". In the early 1990s this arrangement was shaken up by
6400-474: The Brooklyn Dodgers and Boston Braves. As years went by more options were given to the public and the more popular sports broadcasting became. The first voice broadcasters happened, live broadcasting happened, and professional broadcasting happened. More media options became available to the public whether it be on newspapers, radio, or television. As the number of people tuning in increased, so did
6528-635: The CFL's decision, and additional plans have the College Football Playoff National Championship Game returning to broadcast in 2027. Several sports teams in the United States have their own channels, or own shares in other sports networks. For example, the Boston Red Sox and Boston Bruins own New England Sports Network , which retains the New England area television broadcast rights for
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#17327871280496656-653: The FCC's market cap of 39-percent of TV households and making it the largest owner of television stations in the United States. Nexstar planned to divest some stations and "non-core" assets as part of the merger. On March 20, 2019, Nexstar announced that it would divest 19 stations to the E. W. Scripps Company and Tegna Inc. for a total sum of $ 1.32 billion, with Scripps receiving eight stations ( WPIX , WSFL-TV , WTKR and WGNT , WTVR-TV , WXMI , KSTU , and KASW ), and Tegna eleven ( WATN-TV and WLMT , WTIC-TV and WCCT-TV , WOI-DT and KCWI , WNEP , WPMT , WQAD-TV , WZDX , and KFSM-TV ). Of those stations, only WPIX
6784-567: The FCC; the purchase, which was closed on September 2, created a duopoly with Nexstar's Fox affiliate KSWB-TV , and is set to replace KFMB-DT2 as San Diego's CW station. Between June 14 to August 31, Nexstar announced that it would convert MyNetworkTV affiliates in the displaced Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Tampa Bay markets ( WPHL-TV , KRON-TV , and WTTA , respectively) into CW stations, and signed several CW affiliation renewals (such as that with Gray, whose Atlanta-based WPCH-TV station would replace WUPA as that city's CW affiliate) to cover
6912-519: The Fox affiliation in the Springfield, Missouri market. In July 2012, Nexstar agreed to purchase eleven stations and Inergize Digital Media from Newport Television , with two stations going to affiliate Mission Broadcasting. On August 12, 2012, Nexstar sold KBTV-TV to Deerfield Media , which entered into a JSA and SSA with Sinclair Broadcast Group to become a duopoly with KFDM-TV . On April 24, 2013, Nexstar announced that it would acquire
7040-484: The Fox affiliation then moved to a digital subchannel of CBS affiliate WTHI-TV which also added MyNetworkTV as a secondary affiliation. Nexstar's remaining Fox affiliates have since signed a renewal agreement through December 2013; In addition, following the settlement of Nexstar's antitrust lawsuit against WISE-TV's then-owner Granite Broadcasting , WFFT-TV reclaimed the Fox affiliation on March 1, 2013. Nexstar would purchase KRBK in late 2018, restoring its ownership of
7168-634: The FuboTV antitrust lawsuit continues, stating that the vMVPD is likely to succeed in proving its case that the venture will "substantially lessen competition and restrain trade". An October 2025 trial date was then set for the lawsuit. Sports television The broadcasting of sports events (also known as a sportscast ) is the live coverage of sports as a television program , on radio , and other broadcasting media. It usually involves one and more sports commentators describing events as they happen. The broadcasting of sports events (also known as
7296-536: The Kansas/Missouri game, distributed in telegraph code but was open to anyone listening to the station. The first voice broadcast of a sporting event took place on 11 April 1921 when Westinghouse station KDKA in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania broadcast a 10-round, no decision boxing match between Johnny Dundee and Johnny Ray at Pittsburgh's Motor Square Garden . The event was reported by Florent Gibson,
7424-539: The Olympics, FIFA World Cup , and national team events in culturally-significant sports—are available on free-to-air, terrestrial television, rather than exclusively on pay television. Some larger events (particularly the Olympics) may be covered under rules allowing a portion of the event to be televised by a pay TV partner if a specific minimum of coverage is broadcast free-to-air, or if an extended highlights package
7552-1147: The Roanoke and Lafayette stations are required as Media General and Nexstar both own stations in those markets). On June 3, 2016, it was announced that Nexstar would spin off WBAY-TV in Green Bay , Wisconsin and KWQC-TV in Davenport , Iowa to Gray Television for $ 270 million. On June 13, 2016, Nexstar announced that it would sell WFFT in Fort Wayne , Indiana ; KQTV in St. Joseph , Missouri ; KIMT in Rochester , Minnesota ; WTHI-TV in Terre Haute ; and WLFI in Lafayette, Indiana to Heartland Media , through its USA Television MidAmerica Holdings joint venture with MSouth Equity Partners, for $ 115 million. The divestitures were in order to allow Nexstar to comply with FCC ownership rules (specifically pertaining to national market coverage for station owners) in advance of
7680-473: The UK was an international boxing tournament between England and Ireland from Alexandra Palace on 4 February 1937. The United Kingdom saw the first live television broadcast of a football match, with the BBC showing a specially arranged fixture between Arsenal and Arsenal Reserves on 16 September 1937. The British media is dominated by national outlets, with local media playing a much smaller role. Traditionally
7808-423: The United States has been a fixture of the major networks on a continuous basis since that time. The NCAA severely restricted broadcasts of college football from the 1950s until a judge ruled that the action was a violation of antitrust rules in 1984 , which allowed for a much greater expansion of college football broadcasting. NBC broadcast the first televised National Football League (NFL) game when they carried
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#17327871280497936-504: The United States. In order to protect Canadian broadcasters' advertising, broadcast stations can invoke simultaneous substitution : any cable or satellite feed of an American station broadcasting the same program as a Canadian broadcast station must be blacked out and replaced by the Canadian feed. This rule is part of the reason the NFL, which is broadcast on terrestrial television in the United States but has no direct presence in Canada,
8064-495: The absence of an announced name, several media analysts and news reports used the shorthand names "Hulu for Sports" and " Spulu ", both alluding to general entertainment streaming service Hulu and its original joint venture ownership structure. At one point, the partners were reportedly considering making " Hulu Sports " the official name of the service, which would brand the service as an extension of Hulu (now controlled by Disney) despite having separate management. On May 16, 2024,
8192-723: The approval proceedings of the merger of both groups (Nexstar already owned NBC affiliate WTWO and operates ABC affiliate WAWV-TV in Terre Haute, and planned to acquire Media General-owned CBS affiliate WANE-TV in Fort Wayne). On June 30, 2016, Nexstar announced that it would sell KASA-TV in Santa Fe , to Ramar Communications, owner of Telemundo affiliate KTEL-CD (channel 15), Movies! affiliate KUPT-LD (channel 16), and MeTV affiliate KRTN-LD (channel 33), for $ 2.5 million. KASA and KRQE were both ranked among
8320-627: The arrival of pay-TV in the form of BSkyB and its sports channel Sky Sports . Their dedicated sports channels have since become the only place for some major sports to be seen. Starting in 2006, the Irish company Setanta Sports emerged as a challenger to Sky Sports' dominance of the British pay-TV sports market; however, Setanta's UK channel went into bankruptcy administration and off the air in 2009. Between 2009 and 2013 ESPN made an attempt to challenge Sky Sports before its British operations were bought out by Sky's current main competitor, TNT Sports ;
8448-404: The availabilities of where to hear and watch the broadcastings. Sports broadcasting also had an impact to the rise of American citizens being interested in being entertained. As more demand occurred from more sports broadcasters, the programing networks got more advanced with the technology as well. Broadcasting of sports started with descriptions of play sent via telegraph in the 1890s. In 1896,
8576-406: The companies' other channels, those channels may be carried temporarily as "pop-up channels", using a concept that is common in Europe but relatively rare in the United States. The initial announcement indicated the service would have a "new brand", though that brand was not identified immediately. Within the three companies, the project was initially known by the internal code name "Raptor". In
8704-796: The cost of service), and can provide an outlet for expanded coverage of "niche" events with dedicated audiences. By the mid-2000s and early 2010s, most major U.S. sports leagues (barring the National Football League , which has historically stipulated that all games be shown on terrestrial television in at least the markets of the teams involved) had begun to steadily decrease their presence on broadcast television, and allow more of their content (including post-season coverage in many cases) to air on cable networks, and more recently, digital-only outlets. The NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament and national championship games in college football have also largely moved to cable (since 2016,
8832-507: The country also lay claim to this distinction, the veracity cannot be verified. It is widely considered the first ever live sports game in HD in the U.S. produced using a production truck and transmission vehicle from NHK , Japan 's national public broadcasting organization . The Internet has also allowed greater broadcasting of sports events, both in video and audio forms and through free and subscription channels. With an Internet broadcast, even
8960-474: The deal was completed on March 13. KCAU continued to use Citadel's standardized news sets, graphics and logos. On November 6, 2013, Nexstar announced that it would purchase the Grant Broadcasting stations for $ 87.5 million. Due to Federal Communications Commission ownership regulations, one of the stations, KLJB , was spun off to Marshall Broadcasting Group , but is operated by Nexstar through
9088-690: The deal. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) gave final approval of the group deal on December 21, and the Sinclair purchase of the Four Points stations was completed on January 1, 2012. In 2011, Nexstar and Fox entered into a dispute over terms of reverse compensation ; this occurred as Fox began to aggressively seek shares of earnings from retransmission consent agreements with cable and satellite operators as part of affiliation agreement renewals between station groups with affiliates whose affiliation contracts had already expired (and carrying
9216-408: The divestiture of stations to a minority-owned broadcaster as a token to gain FCC approval for the associated acquisitions. A carriage dispute with AT&T resulted in the removal of more than 120 Nexstar stations across 97 markets from AT&T's DirecTV , DirecTV Now and U-verse platforms, which began at 11:59 p.m. on July 3, 2019, and ended on August 29, 2019. On August 1, 2019,
9344-647: The entire group of Communications Corporation of America , KMSS-TV , KPEJ-TV , and most of the ComCorp-managed stations that are owned by White Knight Broadcasting would be sold to Mission Broadcasting while WEVV-TV and White Knight Broadcasting's KSHV-TV would be sold to a female-controlled company called Rocky Creek Communications, with Nexstar assuming operational control of those stations. On September 16, 2013, Nexstar announced that it would acquire WOI-DT , KCAU-TV , and WHBF-TV from Citadel Communications for $ 88 million. Nexstar immediately took over
9472-647: The event. In the United Kingdom , Sky UK based its early marketing largely on its acquisition of the broadcast rights of the top division of the English league football , which as part of the deal with The Football Association broke away from The Football League to become the Premier League . This prevented the footage of any major Premier League football game being shown on free-to-air television until much later that evening as highlights, something
9600-482: The first American football game, a college contest between Fordham and Waynesburg College was broadcast on television. The first nationwide broadcast of college football, which was also the first live sporting event seen coast-to-coast, was a game between Duke University and the University of Pittsburgh that was televised by NBC on 29 September 1951. The broadcasting of college football games on television in
9728-536: The first broadcast of a football match took place, with the BBC covering Arsenal's league fixture against Sheffield United at Highbury . Listeners to the broadcast could use numbered grids published in the Radio Times in order to ascertain in which area of the pitch (denoted as "squares") the action was taking place due to a second commentator reading out grid references during the match. The BBC broadcasts almost all major sports events. Initially broadcast as
9856-630: The first full-game broadcast took place in Winnipeg. That same season, hockey broadcasting pioneer Foster Hewitt made his first broadcast. In 1933, Hewitt called an olympic games -wide radio broadcast of an NHL game between the Detroit Red Wings and the Toronto Maple Leafs . Always starting the broadcast with "Hello, Canada, and hockey fans in the United States and Newfoundland !"; this phrase stuck around (albeit without
9984-554: The first sports broadcaster. The first radio broadcast of a baseball game occurred on 5 August 1921 over KDKA from Pittsburgh's Forbes Field . Harold W. Arlin announced a game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Philadelphia Phillies . Two months later, on 8 October 1921, from the same Forbes Field, Arlin announced the first live radio broadcast of a college football game on KDKA when he gave
10112-584: The founding of the National Basketball Association , and has been aired on television ever since. College basketball, on the other hand, was much later in gaining a television foothold. Although the NCAA Tournament has aired since 1962, it was not until the mid-1970s that regular-season college basketball games would air on major network television. Outside of the networks, the only other source for national sports television
10240-406: The joint-venture service seek any exclusive rights of its own. Because of this, as well as the statement that all content will continue to be available through other platforms, many analysts initially indicated they did not expect the formation of the venture to raise antitrust concerns. Nonetheless, shortly after the announcement, traditional cable and satellite providers were reportedly reviewing
10368-720: The latter two through a 31-percent stake in Television Food Network G.P. ). Nexstar Media Group was founded as Nexstar Broadcasting Group on June 17, 1996, initially backed by ABRY Partners. The first television station bought by Nexstar was WYOU in Scranton, Pennsylvania . Nexstar bought WYOU from Diversified Communications . The sale was completed on September 28 of that year. Nexstar promptly fired two beloved anchors and laid off several long-term staff members. Nexstar founder Perry Sook said that WYOU would be Nexstar's flagship station, keeping an office off
10496-694: The league and event, telecasts are often shown live on network television (traditionally on weekends and during major events — either national through a television network , or in some cases, regionally syndicated by an operation such as Raycom Sports or a team), and nationally available cable channels (such as ESPN or Fox Sports 1 ). In some leagues (such as the NHL and the NBA ), events are also primarily shown by regional sports networks groups (such as Fox Sports Networks ), networks which air telecasts for teams of local interest, which are usually only carried within
10624-413: The league in 2014, offers two weekly games to CBC Television for free to allow the network to continue the long-running Hockey Night in Canada . The CFL's return to broadcast television was part of a broader trend away from cable television and toward over-the-air options, as the NFL had made more of its Monday Night Football games available on broadcast television in the two years leading up to
10752-511: The leagues themselves, resulting in blackouts . These limitations can be legally overlooked by purchasing out-of-market sports packages , such as MLB Extra Innings or NFL Sunday Ticket . Regular season games involving local teams (except the NFL) may also be viewed on those local stations or regional sports channels that have a contract to broadcast that team's games. Events that have been described as "the most watched" per various definitions include
10880-413: The letter's date to respond. After receiving the owners' replies, Nadler and Castro sent a second letter on June 7, stating that these answers were "insufficient" regarding concerns about preventing collusion, ensuring consumer privacy, and methods to determine the service's pricing. On August 16, 2024, federal judge Margaret Garnett granted a preliminary injunction against Venu, blocking its launch while
11008-487: The licensee rights of WLYH-TV from SJL Broadcasting for $ 56 million. On March 20, 2009, Nexstar operated television stations that were owned by Four Points Media Group through an outsourcing agreement. However, on September 8, 2011, Sinclair Broadcast Group announced its intent to purchase the Four Points stations outright and took over the MSA for the stations that October upon Federal Trade Commission (FTC) approval of
11136-402: The major broadcast networks, currently own some NFL rights. NBC also broadcast an NHL game in 1940; the league would briefly air games in the 1950s, but due to a dispute over how much of the rights fee money the players would receive (and difficulties programming around the two Canadian teams in the league at the time ), the NHL refused to televise its games in the United States for six years in
11264-421: The major team sports and the motorsports circuits operating their own networks. Local radio broadcasts cover a wide variety of sports, ranging from the majors to local school and recreational leagues. Internet broadcasts are also common, though college and major professional sports either use a pay wall or subscriber-based systems such as TV Everywhere to extract payment. Telephone broadcasts are rare, although
11392-471: The majority of Red Sox games (except nationally televised games). The New York Mets own SportsNet New York jointly with Comcast and Time Warner Cable . Madison Square Garden has its own network as well, MSG , where they broadcast New York Rangers , New York Knicks , New York Islanders and high school sports games, as well as original shows. Altitude airs games of all Denver-based teams owned by Kroenke Sports Enterprises. Mid-Atlantic Sports Network
11520-439: The network's programming without a contractual agreement) or were near expiration. Reportedly, the amount from retransmission consent fees from cable and satellite operators that Fox wanted its affiliates to pay the network would be 25 cents per subscriber during the first year of the affiliation agreement, increasing to 50 cents by the fourth year. President of affiliate sales and marketing for Fox, Mike Hopkins, had said earlier in
11648-434: The network; such right was announced on May 5, 2023, when the aforementioned stations would become independent on September 1. Nexstar responded to the move by stating that it would find replacement CW affiliates, noting that "Paramount's decision affects a limited portion of The CW's nationwide reach." The company announced on May 8 that it would buy KUSI-TV from McKinnon Broadcasting for $ 35 million, pending approval from
11776-730: The newsroom for years. In 1998, Nexstar purchased WBRE-TV in Wilkes-Barre , Pennsylvania . Because this was in the same market as WYOU, WYOU was 'sold' to Mission Broadcasting. This began the first-ever 'shared-services' agreement between stations. WYOU's sales staff was kept in Scranton, while the production and news operations were moved to WBRE's offices in Wilkes-Barre. WYOU staff who were not laid off were fired by Nexstar, hired by Mission, and eventually rehired by Nexstar. Mission Broadcasting then paid Nexstar to operate and control
11904-528: The offer but agreed to negotiate after concluding its merge with Meredith. On January 27, 2016, Media General announced that it had entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Nexstar in a deal valued at $ 17.14 per share, valuing the company at $ 4.6 billion plus the assumption of $ 2.3 billion debt. The combined company became known as Nexstar Media Group, and owns 171 stations, serving an estimated 39-percent of U.S. households. The company paid Meredith Corporation (whom Media General had previously proposed
12032-431: The only Nexstar station thus far to affiliate with another network following the removal of the Fox affiliation) as part of a long-term renewal agreement between Nexstar and ABC for the group's nine existing ABC stations, reversing a 1995 switch that saw Terre Haute losing over-the-air carriage of ABC programs (since then, ABC has been seen in the market via Indianapolis affiliate WRTV on area cable and satellite providers);
12160-437: The ownership cap. On November 14, 2018, after Tribune cancelled its proposed sale to Sinclair, it was reported that Nexstar was a leading bidder to acquire Tribune. On December 3, 2018, Nexstar announced its intent to merge with Tribune Media for $ 6.4 billion ($ 4.1 billion for all of Tribune's shares in cash and $ 2.3 billion of Tribune's debt). The merger would give the company 216 stations in 118 markets, placing it just below
12288-449: The participation of the affiliates' owners); general sports channels ESPN , ESPN2 , ESPNews , FS1 , and FS2 ; college sports channels ACC Network , Big Ten Network , ESPNU , and SEC Network ; and the three primary WBD cable networks that carry sports coverage: TBS , TNT , and TruTV . It will also include access to the content of Disney's existing direct-to-consumer sports service ESPN+ . The streaming service will provide access to
12416-418: The past several decades, in part because of bidding wars between the numerous networks and the fear of losing stature due to the loss of NFL programming; as of the most recent contract the league nets annual fees of over $ 6 billion, or half of the league's overall revenue, from television rights alone. Four of the five major sports television units in the United States, and the four companies that control all of
12544-484: The plans as to whether they may violate most favored nation clauses in existing contracts, unless the providers are allowed to also start offering lower-priced sports-focused packages. Analysts noted that some of these providers had been "begging for the right" to offer cheaper sports packages for years, but were blocked by programmers like Disney, Fox, and WBD, which had insisted that their sports channels be bundled with their other news and entertainment channels. The NFL
12672-499: The platform, which will be on an "opt-in" basis, suggesting some parts of the country might not have access to their ABC and/or Fox affiliate at launch. While subscribers will be able to watch any entertainment and news programming that regularly airs on these channels in addition to sports, the service will not carry other channels owned by these companies that are typically included in cable bundles, such as CNN or Fox News . However, in situations where sports broadcasts are carried by
12800-535: The play-by-play action of the University of Pittsburgh victory over West Virginia University . On 17 May 1939, the United States' first televised sporting event, a college baseball game between the Columbia Lions and Princeton Tigers , was broadcast by NBC from Columbia's Baker Field . (The world's first live televised sporting event had been the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. ) On 30 September 1939,
12928-535: The product, the majority of those being Fox employees expected to move to the joint venture once finalized. A placeholder website for the service had likewise been launched in May under Fox ownership, through a subsidiary named Rookie Enterprises LLC. Following the initial announcement, the three companies involved stated that the formation of the joint venture would not affect their respective plans to compete with each other for sports broadcast rights going forward, nor would
13056-724: The production and news-gathering operations while Mission kept the sales and management team. In 1997, Nexstar acquired WJET-TV in Erie, Pennsylvania , from Jet Broadcasting, for which it paid $ 18.5 million. On January 12, 1998, Nexstar acquired three stations owned by the U.S. Broadcast Group, including KFDX-TV , KBTV-TV , and KSNF , for $ 64.3 million. In 1999, Nexstar bought out WROC-TV in Rochester, New York , from Smith Broadcasting . In 2003, Nexstar acquired Quorum Broadcasting, owner of ten television stations. Also that year, it purchased KARK-TV and WDHN-TV from Morris Multimedia . In 2006, Nexstar bought out WTAJ-TV and
13184-541: The relevant market. Additionally, cable channels also exist that are dedicated to specific types of sports, certain college sports conferences, or a specific league. Pay-per-view broadcasts are typically restricted to combat sports such as boxing, mixed martial arts or professional wrestling. Radio broadcasts are extensive. The national leagues each have national network coverage of league high games in addition to local radio coverage originating with each team, with ESPN Radio and WestwoodOne controlling national rights to
13312-617: The remaining displaced markets. Nexstar implemented a blackout on its stations from DirecTV, U-verse and DirecTV Stream on July 2, 2023, causing DirecTV to complain to the FCC. Nexstar responded to DirecTV's complaint by stating that DirecTV was streaming Nexstar stations after the contract expired in November 2022. Nexstar and DirecTV renewed their contract on September 17, 2023. On May 19, 2023, Ray Cole, COO of Citadel Communications , announced that WSNN-LD in Sarasota, Florida ,
13440-410: The results. Those in attendance cheered as though they were watching the game live, including the school's legendary Rock Chalk, Jayhawk cheer. This was followed on Thanksgiving 1919 by the first true broadcast (as opposed to the 1911 point-to-point transmission) of a college football game, over 5XB, the experimental station that eventually became WTAW ; that year's Lone Star Shootout was, as with
13568-454: The room for broadcasting sports events) available on a given set, and also gave channels such as ESPN the ability to broadcast direct and nationwide, as opposed to dealing with local affiliates. Syndication networks gave way to regional sports networks , which carried broadcasts of local sports on a far greater scale than full-service broadcast stations could provide at the time; these combined with out-of-market sports packages (which debuted in
13696-474: The sale and cover debt. On April 8, 2019, Nexstar announced that it would sell 2 additional stations ( WISH-TV and WNDY ) to Circle City Broadcasting for $ 42.5 million. On April 3, 2019, Marshall Broadcasting Group sued Nexstar for breach of contract, alleging that the company was trying to "undermine" its operations so it could buy back the stations at a later date and lower cost in the present regulatory environment. The company also accused Nexstar of using
13824-745: The sales of five stations. WCWJ in Jacksonville , Florida , along with WSLS-TV in Roanoke , Virginia , was sold to the Graham Media Group ; and KADN-TV , as well as KLAF-LD in Lafayette , Louisiana , was sold to Bayou City Broadcasting , with KREG-TV in Glenwood Springs , Colorado going to Marquee Broadcasting as part of a series of divestitures required following Nexstar's acquisition of Media General due to Federal Communications Commission ownership caps (the sale of
13952-827: The same sports events that are currently offered by the above-listed services, which as of February 2024 include the majority of national broadcasting rights to NBA , NHL , and MLB games, the College Football Playoff and almost all NCAA -organized championships, as well as select NFL matches, among many other properties. However, the service will not provide access to sports events controlled by regional sports networks (RSNs), third-party streaming services such as Prime Video and Apple TV+ , and other major traditional broadcasters, particularly Paramount Global (owner of CBS and Paramount+ ) and NBCUniversal (owner of NBC and Peacock ). Moreover, Paramount and NBCUniversal were not invited to participate in
14080-416: The semi-finals of the former only air on broadcast television in odd-numbered years). A similar phenomenon has taken root in much of Canadian sports, where the Canadian Football League left broadcast television in 2008, not to return again until 2024. The National Hockey League survives on Canadian broadcast television because Rogers Sportsnet , the cable broadcaster that acquired exclusive rights to
14208-412: The service's branding was announced as Venu Sports, or simply Venu. "Venu" is pronounced like "venue" (as in a sports venue ). Venu was to be available individually through a new bespoke app, or as part of a bundle with Disney+ , Hulu , and/or Max . In May 2024, Disney and WBD separately announced plans to launch a bundle of the three latter services, but did not specifically address the possibility of
14336-920: The start of October 2022, in order to complete the transaction; thus, Nexstar took over operations of the network on August 15. The transaction was completed on October 3. Following Nexstar's purchase of the CW, Paramount's CBS News and Stations division was given the right to have its eight CW stations ( WPSG in Philadelphia , WUPA in Atlanta , KBCW in San Francisco , KSTW in Seattle , WTOG in Tampa Bay , WKBD in Detroit , KMAX in Sacramento , and WPCW in Pittsburgh ) disaffiliate from
14464-498: The start of a subscription, with no long term commitment required. The service will be overseen by a separate management team at arms-length from the three partners. On March 15, 2024, the partners announced that former Apple and Hulu executive Pete Distad would serve as the service's first CEO. Additional executives were announced in June 2024, at which point Venu said there were already 150 executives and software engineers working on
14592-850: The stations owned by affiliated companies, such as Mission Broadcasting and Vaughan Media , under local marketing agreements to satisfy existing regulations set in place by the Federal Communications Commission . In addition, Nexstar owns one radio station, WGN in Chicago , and operates major TV network the CW through a 75-percent majority stake where all CW affiliates are directly owned-and-operated stations (O&O), two terrestrial television networks airing classic shows, Antenna TV and Rewind TV , one FAST streaming channel airing sports programming, SportsGrid , and has full or partial ownership stakes in three pay television networks (cable news and entertainment network NewsNation and food and cooking networks Food Network and Cooking Channel ,
14720-991: The stations' non-license assets under a time brokerage agreement in December 2015 pending the formal completion of the deal, expected in late 2016. The two companies viewed the acquisition as being a complement to Nexstar's WHAG-TV , whose coverage area includes the Eastern Panhandle region. Nexstar CEO Perry A. Sook is an alumnus of WOWK. The sale was completed on January 31, 2017. On August 1, 2018, Nexstar bought out KRBK in Springfield from Koplar Communications for $ 16.45 million, and also bought out WHDF in Huntsville from Lockwood Broadcast Group for $ 2.25 million. On November 1, 2018, Nexstar bought out MyNetworkTV affiliate KFVE in Honolulu from American Spirit Media as part of transactions requiring from
14848-454: The stations' operations through a time brokerage agreement . The deal followed Phil Lombardo's decision to "slow down," as well as a desire by Lynch Entertainment to divest its investments in WOI and WHBF; Citadel would continue to own KLKN , WLNE-TV , and its Sarasota properties. On March 5, 2014, the Federal Communications Commission approved the sale of these stations to Nexstar outright and
14976-619: The three partners owning one-third of the venture, subject to the negotiation of final contracts between them. Venu would bundle virtually all of the U.S. national sports broadcast rights controlled by the three companies in a single subscription, with limited entertainment and news content. The service would be available as a standalone product, or sold as part of a bundle with one of the companies' other streaming platforms like Disney+ , Hulu , or Max . The joint venture partners have said Venu would be specifically targeted to cord-cutters and cord-nevers who do not currently subscribe to either
15104-486: The top four stations in the Albuquerque market during the November 2015 sweeps period, which meant that the company had to divest one of the two stations to comply with the FCC duopoly rules. The transaction was approved by the FCC on January 11, 2017, and the sale was completed on January 17. On April 30, 2017, The Wall Street Journal reported that there were competing bids for Tribune Media from Nexstar and
15232-427: The venture. The companies have stated that all programming will be offered on a non-exclusive basis, as the channels and content will continue to be made available through existing TV providers and/or the companies' respective standalone services. In March 2024, an executive with Nexstar Media Group said independent broadcasters who own ABC and Fox network affiliates will be paid for distribution of their channels on
15360-561: The year that the network would consider moving its affiliation to another market station as a last resort if existing affiliates did not agree to the terms for reverse compensation retrans sharing. Fox dropped its affiliation from Nexstar-owned/managed stations in four markets, with three of the replacement stations adding Fox in addition to existing affiliations with the MyNetworkTV programming service (owned by Fox parent company News Corporation ). In Indiana, two markets saw Fox go from
15488-767: Was Seán Óg Ó Ceallacháin who broadcast for the Gaelic Games and live commentary weekly beginning in 1930. Many sports were covered in Irish broadcasting including Bridge tournaments. The first sports event broadcast on radio in Europe was a Boxing contest for the Flyweight Championship of Great Britain and Europe between Elky Clark of Scotland and Kid Socks of England. relayed from the National Sporting Club in London on 26 February 1926. Further boxing commentaries were broadcast by
15616-528: Was a potential leading buyer of the CW, as the network's then-co-owners ViacomCBS (now known as Paramount Global ) and WarnerMedia (since spun-off from AT&T and merged with Discovery, Inc. to form Warner Bros. Discovery ) explored options in selling a majority stake in the joint venture network; the three companies had yet to comment on the WSJ report. In late August, as confirmation to another WSJ report made last June, Nexstar announced that it has "entered
15744-593: Was delivered on RealVideo , a compressed video format, on the RealPlayer media player platform on the station's website. It also was distributed to Windows Mobile mobile devices using the Windows Media Player format, including Compaq 's IPAQ personal digital assistant which required an ExpressCard to connect to the Internet . Broadcasting rights and contracts limit who can show footage of
15872-547: Was not associated with a duopoly, but rather its market size (an outright acquisition under current FCC rules would cause Nexstar to exceed the 39 percent cap). The transaction involving WPIX included a $ 75 million option condition allowing Nexstar to buy WPIX back between March 31, 2020, and the end of 2021. In the summer of 2020, the option was transferred to Mission Broadcasting (whose station acquisitions are largely funded by Nexstar) and exercised shortly thereafter. Nexstar stated that these divestitures would be used to help fund
16000-478: Was not informed about the service in advance of the February 2024 announcement, and shortly thereafter, media outlets reported the league was investigating whether it could block the service from carrying its games. The existing sports-focused vMVPD FuboTV also expressed concerns following the announcement about the venture's impact on "fair market competition". On February 20, FuboTV filed an antitrust lawsuit in
16128-584: Was purchasing BestReviews from Tribune Publishing for $ 160 million. On May 20, 2021, the CW network and Nexstar announced that they have reached multi-year agreements to renew network affiliation for the CW in 37 markets in across the country (including KTLA in Los Angeles and WDCW in Washington, D.C. ). On August 20, 2021, Nexstar acquired political news website The Hill for $ 130 million. On August 25, 2021, Nexstar Media Group announced
16256-400: Was then Outdoor Life Network (now NBCSN ) took over NHL broadcast rights; they have since renewed those rights through 2021. The first-ever television broadcast of a basketball game occurred on 28 February 1940 when the University of Pittsburgh defeated Fordham at Madison Square Garden on NBC station W2XBS. Professional basketball has been aired on television since 1953, shortly after
16384-511: Was through early syndication networks. Sports Network Incorporated (SNI), later renamed the Hughes Television Network , carried Cleveland Browns (NFL) games in the 1950s and NHL games in the late 1970s, after the NHL lost its contract with NBC. TVS Television Network helped popularize the broadcasts of college basketball and also gave an outlet to the short-lived World Football League . Mizlou Television Network earned
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