DirecTV Restores Scripps Stations After Prolonged Blackout in New Carriage Deal

A multiyear carriage agreement between The EW Scripps Co. and DirecTV has ended a retransmission dispute that left customers without access to Scripps-owned broadcast stations for five weeks. The deal, announced late Friday, restored service across 54 stations in 36 markets.

"An announcement arrived just before 5 PM Pacific time on Friday, ending a re-transmission dispute that blocked DirecTV customers from receiving all stations owned by The EW Scripps Co."

Radio & Television Business ReportScripps TV Stations Return to DirecTV

That timing capped a negotiation that Deadline noted had led to a blackout beginning on May 31, depriving viewers of local news and programming in numerous major U.S. markets.

DeadlineScripps' 54 Local Stations Return to DirecTV After Five-Week Retransmission Dispute

Under the restored service, markets including Baltimore, Denver, Detroit, and Phoenix are again receiving Scripps stations. The companies described the agreement as a multiyear deal, though specific terms were not disclosed. Both sides had cited the public interest in restoring local broadcasting as a factor in reaching the accord.

"Scripps Local Media's 54 broadcast stations across 36 markets have returned to DirecTV after a five-week blackout caused by a retransmission dispute."

The resolution brings an end to one of the lengthier retransmission standoffs in recent memory, with viewers caught in the middle as negotiations stretched past a month. Industry observers note that such disputes have become increasingly common as broadcasters and distributors haggle over fees amid cord-cutting pressures.