Nexstar Lands Retrans Deal with DirecTV, AT&T

Nexstar Broadcasting Group Inc., an Irving, Texas-based owner of 50 television stations reaching more than 8% of all U.S. households, has agreed to a new retransmission consent deal with AT&T and DirecTV, giving the telco and the DBS the right to distribute content produced by local news stations in its 29 markets.

Under terms of the deal, DirecTV and AT&T were also granted the right to carry standard and high-definition signals of stations that are either owned or operated by Nexstar.

Financial terms of the retrans deal were not disclosed.

“The new agreements with DirecTV and AT&T deliver valuable locally produced video content to important platform distributors,” Perry Sook, president and CEO of Nexstar Broadcasting, said in a statement. “Furthermore, these agreements ensure that DirecTV and AT&T U-verse subscribers have access to the broadest array of entertainment choices.”

“Our advertiser base will also benefit with greater reach to leverage their messages,” he added.

Nexstar owns TV stations in Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Texas, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Arkansas, Alabama and New York.

Nexstar shares moved up 11 cents, or 3%, to $3.48 a share in Thursday afternoon trading.