Advanced Television

Nexstar closes Tegna deal despite objections

March 20, 2026

Nexstar Media Group has closed its acquisition of Tegna following approval of the transaction from the FCC and the US Department of Justice (DOJ) in a deal valued at $6.2 billion (€5.3bn) – despite two lawsuits trying to block the deal.

Nexstar first announced in August 2025 that it would acquire Tegna and create a company that owns 265 television stations in 44 states and the District of Columbia – most of them local affiliates of ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC.

Nexstar’s Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer, Perry Sook, said: “This transaction is essential to sustaining strong local journalism in the communities we serve. By bringing these two outstanding companies together, Nexstar will be a stronger, more dynamic enterprise—better positioned to deliver exceptional journalism and local programming with enhanced assets, capabilities, and talent. We are grateful to President Trump, Chairman Carr, and the DOJ for recognising the dynamic forces shaping the media landscape and enabling this transaction to move forward.”

The FCC Media Bureau said it found that approving this transaction, with commitments, “will empower these broadcasters to better serve their communities by investing in local news and reporting,” adding that the transaction “will also enable these broadcast TV stations to counter the growing power that national programmers have amassed in recent years”.

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr (pictured) commented: “The FCC has been focused on empowering broadcast TV stations to serve their local communities, consistent with their public interest obligations. Today’s agency decision does exactly that as both the record and Nexstar’s enforceable commitments demonstrate. For too long, the FCC stood by while newspapers closed by the dozen in communities all across the country. Those trusted sources of local news and information shuttered while the FCC dithered. If you care about local news, you should care about the future of local broadcast TV stations. Often, they are the ones in a market doing the gumshoe reporting that citizens value and need. By approving this transaction, which allows Nexstar to own less than 15 per cent of television stations, the FCC acts mindful of the media marketplace that exits today—not the one from decades past—and the agency ensures that these broadcasters have the resources to continue investing in their local news operations. “

“The DC Circuit has already determined that the relevant media ownership regulation is an agency rule, not a firm statutory limit, and the full Commission has reached the same determination on multiple occasions. Waiving that rule here is consistent with longstanding FCC authorities and doing so promotes the underlying purpose of the FCC’s media regulations by promoting competition, localism, and diversity. I want to thank the Media Bureau team for their great work on this matter,” added Carr.

The news of the deal closing came just hours after eight US states sued to block it, stating that they believed the deal to be illegal and anti-competitive – and could serve to stifle local journalism. DirecTV also sought to block the deal, claiming it would enable Nexstar to unfairly raise prices for pay-TV companies.

Anna Gomez, a Democratic FCC member of the FCC, condemned the decision, saying it was done without an actual vote.

“Local journalism is under extraordinary strain. Across the country newsrooms are being consolidated, reporters laid off and editorial decisions made far from the communities broadcast stations are licensed to serve. The Nexstar-Tegna merger will accelerate exactly that trend, concentrating broadcast power in fewer corporate hands, shrinking independent editorial voices and prioritising national business interests over local needs,” said Gomez.

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