Fox Corporation’s local broadcast television stations will be adding Sinclair’s comedy-centric multicast network TBD in a handful of top TV markets, the companies announced on Tuesday.
Starting January 15, Fox-owned TV stations in Atlanta, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles and Phoenix will begin distributing TBD on a digital sub-channel of their main network signal, making them available in closer proximity to a major network affiliate in five of the top 10 TV markets.
In two markets — Los Angeles and Chicago — TBD will move from a Nexstar-owned CW Network affiliate, where they already had premiere reach. The realignment allows Sinclair to take advantage of Fox’s position in larger markets, securing the network’s placement in closer proximity to a “Big Four” network.
“We are excited to launch TBD TV on 5 powerhouse Fox Owned Television Stations, including the top three DMAs in the US,” Lee Schlazer, the Senior Vice President of Distribution at Sinclair, said in a statement. “This partnership greatly expands TBD TVs reach while securing big-4 network row positions and maintaining Sinclair’s strategic initiative of growing coverage in the largest DMAs. BD TV is a great fit with FOX’s younger skewing audience, as TBD TV is the second-youngest multicast network.”
TBD airs repeats of shows like “Punk’d,” “Saturday Night Live,” “Key & Peele,” “Whose Line is it Anyway?” and “World’s Dumbest.” The network began retooling its programming line-up a few years ago, and has seen exponential ratings growth over the past year, particularly after adding 60-minute editions of Saturday Night Live.
In an interview with The Desk earlier this year, Sinclair’s Senior Vice President of Growth Networks Adam Ware said placing their multicast networks in closer proximity to a major network affiliate was part of a robust strategy to ensure people who use antennas to watch TV can easily find the channels.
“If you’re on beachfront property, and there’s a huge party going on next door, you’d better make sure what’s going on in your house is pretty cool by comparison, as opposed to turning off the lights and closing the doors,” Ware said.
