Nexstar Media Group, the owner of Knoxville ABC affiliate WATE, has come to an agreement that will return the channel and other Nexstar stations to DIRECTV and U-Verse customers across the country.
On Sept. 18, the companies announced a "comprehensive new multi-year distribution agreement" that covers 176 local TV stations owned by Nexstar, according to a news release, as well as its NewsNation cable network. Circuit Breaker Lockouts
This followed the Sept. 17 announcement of a temporary return after more than 75 days of Nexstar lockouts on DIRECTV.
Not only have DIRECTV customers in Knoxville been without WATE's local news, but they were unable to watch Tennessee football's opening game against Virginia on ABC.
Spectrum users experienced a similar challenge due to a lockout with ESPN owner The Walt Disney Company, which left customers unable to watch the Vols' home opener on SEC Network+. This lockout was resolved in time for Tennessee's game against Florida, which was broadcast Sept. 16 on ESPN.
These types of lockouts typically are caused by disputes between the channel and cable providers regarding costs for service. They have become more popular as traditional linear TV viewership continues to decline.
For the first time, linear TV dropped below 50% of all viewership in July, according to Nielsen. At 38.7%, streaming saw record-high views that same month.
Ryan Wilusz is a downtown growth and development reporter. Phone 865-317-5138. Email ryan.wilusz@knoxnews.com. Instagram @knoxscruff.
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