2023 CW affiliation realignment

On September 1, 2023, a series of network affiliation changes took place in nine television markets throughout the United States involving The CW Television Network. These changes were initiated after Nexstar Media Group, which owned multiple key affiliates in the network, acquired a 75 percent stake in the network on October 3, 2022. The CW's co-founders, Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Global, held ownership of the remaining 25 percent, split evenly between the two companies.[1]

Under Nexstar, The CW agreed to a three-year broadcast deal in January 2023 with LIV Golf, a professional golf tour financed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, marking the first-ever national sports broadcasting contract for both the network and the tour.[2] On February 14, 2023, the network said their LIV Golf coverage would be available in 100 percent of media markets in the United States, but encountered numerous affiliates that declined carriage of the tour, including all owned by Paramount Global's CBS News and Stations subsidiary. Consequently, LIV coverage in those affected markets aired on Nexstar-owned stations or subchannels, or on other stations via secondary affiliation agreements.[3][4]

As part of the sale, Paramount Global was granted the right to withdraw their eight affiliates from the network—in Atlanta, Detroit, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Sacramento, San Francisco, Seattle and the Tampa Bay area—which was exercised on May 5, 2023, effective September 1.[5] In the Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Tampa Bay markets, Nexstar-owned MyNetworkTV stations (WPHL-TV, KRON-TV and WTTA, respectively) were announced as replacements for WPSG, KBCW and WTOG.[6] Adell Broadcasting-owned WADL, Detroit's existing MyNetworkTV affiliate, replaced WKBD-TV; Mission Broadcasting, a closely related company to Nexstar, also filed to buy WADL, with Nexstar to provide services.[7][8]

The remainder of the affected markets were addressed through new affiliation agreements with group owners Hearst Television, Gray Television and Sinclair Broadcast Group, each of which already owned multiple CW affiliates. Hearst's renewal included KQCA as the new CW Sacramento affiliate in place of KMAX-TV,[9] while the Gray Television renewal included WPCH-TV in Atlanta, replacing WUPA.[10] Sinclair included WPNT in Pittsburgh and a subchannel of Seattle's ABC affiliate KOMO-TV as replacements for WPCW and KSTW, respectively. As part of the Sinclair agreement, The CW moved from Sinclair's KOCB to Nexstar's KAUT-TV in Oklahoma City.[11][12] Additionally, Nexstar took back the CW affiliation in Billings, Montana, when the statewide Montana Television Network ceased airing The CW on a subchannel of its stations.[13]

Stations
City of license / market New affiliate Old affiliation Prior affiliate New affiliation
Atlanta, GA WPCH-TV Independent WUPA Independent
Billings, MT KSVI-DT2 Ion Mystery KTVQ-DT2 Independent
Butte, MT — — KXLF-DT2 Independent
Detroit, MI WADL MyNetworkTV[lower-alpha 1] WKBD-TV Independent
Great Falls, MT — — KRTV-DT2 Independent
Missoula, MT — — KPAX-DT2 Independent
Oklahoma City, OK KAUT-TV Independent KOCB Independent
Philadelphia, PA WPHL-TV MyNetworkTV[lower-alpha 1] WPSG Independent
Pittsburgh, PA WPNT MyNetworkTV[lower-alpha 1] WPKD-TV Independent
Sacramento–Stockton–Modesto, CA KQCA MyNetworkTV[lower-alpha 1] KMAX-TV Independent
San Francisco–Oakland–San Jose, CA KRON-TV MyNetworkTV[lower-alpha 1] KPYX Independent
Seattle–Tacoma, WA KOMO-DT2 Comet[lower-alpha 2] KSTW Independent
Tampa–St. Petersburg, FL WTTA MyNetworkTV[lower-alpha 1] WTOG Independent
  1. Retained as a secondary affiliation.
  2. Retained as a primary affiliation.

See also

References
  1. Hayes, Dade (October 3, 2022). "New Day Dawns For Broadcast TV As Nexstar Closes Deal For Control Of The CW". Deadline. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
  2. Strauss, Ben; Bonesteel, Matt (January 19, 2023). "After a year of streaming, LIV Golf finds a television partner". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on January 19, 2023. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
  3. Rice, Lynette (February 14, 2023). "LIV Golf Tour Clears 100 Percent Of US Markets (But Not All CW Stations)". Deadline. Archived from the original on February 14, 2023. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
  4. Rice, Lynette; Hayes, Dade (February 24, 2023). "LIV On CW: Behind Nexstar's Drive To Secure TV Stations For Controversial Golf League". Deadline. Archived from the original on February 25, 2023. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
  5. Rice, Lynette (May 5, 2023). "Eight CBS Stations To Ditch CW And Go Independent This Fall". Deadline. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
  6. "Nexstar Television Stations in Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Tampa to Become Affiliated with the CW Network on September 1". Nexstar Media Group. June 14, 2023. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
  7. "Mission Broadcasting To Acquire WADL-TV Detroit From Adell Broadcasting". Mission Broadcasting, Inc. broadcastone. May 18, 2023. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
  8. "Assignments". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission. May 17, 2023. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
  9. "The CW Network And Hearst Television Expand And Extend Affiliation Partnership". Nexstar Media Group. August 1, 2023. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
  10. "The CW Network and Gray Television Expand and Extend Affiliation Partnership". Nexstar Media Group. August 30, 2023. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
  11. "The CW Network and Sinclair Expand and Extend Affiliation Partnership". Nexstar Media Group, Inc. August 31, 2023. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
  12. "Nexstar's KAUT-TV in Oklahoma City To Become CW Network Affiliate on September 1". Nexstar Media Group, Inc. August 31, 2023. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
  13. McCollum, Cheryl (August 29, 2023). "Programming Changes in Billings, Montana". TDS Telecommunications. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
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