DirecTV, Tegna reach agreement to carry local NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox stations after dispute

The TV provider and the media company announced a new multi-year distribution agreement on Saturday, ending a six-week impasse over what DirecTV must pay to carry Tegna’s 64 TV stations. That means fans of football, late night TV and local news in many cities across the U.S. can now watch their favorites again.

All programming from the stations will return immediately to customers of DirecTV satellite service, the DirecTV Stream streaming service and U-verse service delivered via fiber-optic connections, the companies said in a a joint press release. “DIRECTV and TEGNA greatly appreciate the patience of their subscribers and viewers,” the companies said.

Tegna stations are in 51 markets and reach about 39% of all TV homes nationwide, the company says. Among the stations are many NBC and CBS stations, plus several Fox stations, all of which broadcast NFL playoffs. As many as 5 million DirecTV customers were reportedly impacted, The Athletic reported.

Among the events missed during the impasse: several weeks of college and NFL football games including “Sunday Night Football” on NBC and shows such as “The Late Night Show With Stephen Colbert” on CBS. USA TODAY