Nexstar Media Group said it does not intend to renew the affiliations of The CW stations owned by the E.W. Scripps Co. in seven markets.

In two of those markets — Norfolk, Virginia, and Lafayette, Louisiana — Nexstar-owned stations will become the new The CW affiliates, effective Sept. 1.

“We have interest from other station groups in the five remaining markets and expect to make announcements about those affiliations soon,” Nexstar said in a statement. “We are prepared for this transition and confident that The CW will continue to reach 100% of US television households without interruption.”  

The other five markets are Detroit; Miami; Tucson, Arizona; Corpus Christi, Texas[ and San Luis Obispo, California.

“This is an opportunity for us to bring Scripps’ excellent local and national programming — entertainment from our networks, news from local stations and Scripps News and, in some markets, local sports rights — to even more audiences across the country,” Scripps said in a statement. “We are still in the process of determining exactly what the new programming will look like in each affected market.”

This weekend’s lineup of live TV sports events begins on the football field as the second half of the college football season begins with a huge Big Ten Conference matchup between undefeated rivals.

Fox on Saturday will air the game between third-ranked Ohio State and No. 7 Penn State in a matchup of top ten-ranked teams. Other ranked teams in action include second-ranked Michigan against rival Michigan State on NBC, fourth-ranked Florida State hosting Duke on ABC, and fifth-ranked Washington taking on Arizona State on FS1. The schedule also includes No. 6 Oklahoma-UCF (ABC), No. 8 Texas-Houston (Fox), No. 9 Oregon-Washington State (ABC), and No. 10 North Carolina-Virginia (CW).

Sunday’s pro football slate includes afternoon regional matchups on Fox and CBS, as well as NBC’s Sunday Night Football game between the Miami Dolphins and the Philadelphia Eagles.

In the octagon, ESPN will distribute the UFC 294 pay-per-view event featuring a main event rematch between lightweight champion Islam Makhachev and featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski. 

Major League Baseball’s march to the World Series continues on Saturday with Game 5 of the Philadelphia Phillies-Arizona Cardinals National League Championship Series on TBS and on Sunday with Game 6 of the Texas Rangers-Houston Astros American League Championship series on FS1.

On the racetrack, the NASCAR playoffs continue on Saturday with the Xfinity Series Contender Boats 300 race on NBC and USA Network, and on Sunday with the NASCAR Cup 4Ever 400 race also on NBC.

On the links, the CW will air weekend coverage of the LIV Royal Greens tournament, while on the soccer field USA, NBC and Peacock will feature live coverage of Premier League games throughout the weekend. 

The retrans fight raging between DirecTV and Nexstar is getting downright petty, and we're not talking about either "Richard" or "Tom" here.

DirecTV fired off a letter to the FCC Tuesday morning, complaining that Nexstar Media Group has further expanded an ongoing station blackout, the biggest in pay TV history, to include the CW network streaming feeds that Sinclair Broadcast Group provides for its stations on the DirecTV Stream platform. 

Nexstar, the largest station owner in the U.S., purchased a controlling interest in CW last October. Sinclair is the second largest U.S. station operator. 

Two weeks ago, more than 160 Nexstar-owned stations were removed from the program guides of DirecTV satellite, U-Verse and DirecTV Stream. More than 40 stations owned by Mission Broadcasting and White Knight Broadcasting have also been affected. 

In its letter to the FCC, DirecTV accuses Nexstar of dragging "into its dispute new viewers of a competing broadcaster against their will and regardless of DirecTV’s agreements to serve these viewers."

"Nexstar is and always has been in full compliance with FCC regulations, and the allegations raised by DirecTV in today’s filing are without merit," Nexstar said in a statement provided to Next TV.

The antipathy between the pay TV operator and the broadcaster runs deep. 

Over the weekend, the New York Supreme Court ruled in favor of DirecTV in an eight-year-old retrans dispute involving a Washington, D.C. affiliate. 

DirecTV has a separate fraud claim in that dispute and is seeking millions of dollars more in punitive damages. 

DirecTV is also litigating against Nexstar over its operational arrangements for Mission and White Knight stations.  

The lineup of live TV sports events set for the Memorial Day weekend stars on the racetrack as  the 107th Indianapolis 500 revs up on Sunday.

NBC will televise the annual flagship IndyCar Series auto race Sunday afternoon from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Nine former Indy 500 champions will compete in the race, including last year’s champion Marcus Ericsson. 

Also on Sunday, Fox will air the NASCAR Cup Coca-Cola 600 race, while ESPN carries the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix event. 

On the basketball court, the Miami Heat will look to close out the Boston Celtics in Game 6 of their NBA Eastern Conference Finals series on TNT. If the Celtics win, TNT will televise Game 7 of the series on Memorial Day.

On the ice, the Vegas Golden Knights will look to advance to the NHL Stanley Cup finals with a win against the Dallas Stars in Game 5 of their Western Conference Finals series on ABC. If Dallas extends the series to a Game 6, ESPN will televise the action on Memorial Day. 

In WNBA action, CBS on Saturday will televise the Connecticut Sun-New York Liberty game. 

On the pro football field, Fox Saturday will air the USFL game between the Birmingham Stallions and the New Orleans Breakers and FS1 will televise the Philadelphia Stars-Pittsburgh Maulers contest. On Sunday, USA Network televises the Houston Gamblers-Memphis Showboats game, while FS1 offers the Michigan Panthers-New Jersey Generals game. 

On the links, CW will air final round coverage of the Trump National LIV pro golf tournament, while CBS airs the Charles Schwab Challenge PGA tournament and NBC televises the Senior PGA Tournament.

On the soccer field, USA Network, Bravo, CNBC, Syfy and Peacock will team to carry all 10 of the Premier League's “Championship Sunday” schedule of games. 

The Mother’s Day weekend lineup of live tv sports action begins on the pro football field as ABC airs in primetime the upstart XFL pro football league’s Championship game featuring the Arlington Renegades and the D.C. Defenders. 

The second round of the NBA Playoffs winds down as the Philadelphia 76’ers and the Boston Celtics meet Saturday on ABC in a pivotal Game 7 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series. 

On the ice, ESPN on Saturday will air a Game 6 NHL Playoffs contest featuring the Dallas Stars, who will look to close out its second round series against Seattle Kraken. On Sunday ESPN will air Game 6 of the Edmonton Oilers-Vegas Golden Knights series, with the Golden Knights up three games to two.

On the racetrack, NBC on Saturday will televise the GMR Grand Prix IndyCar Series race and on Sunday will air the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Motul Course de Monterey race. 

On the baseball diamond, Peacock on Sunday morning will stream the L.A. Angels-Cleveland Guardians game, while ESPN will televise the St. Louis Cardinals-Boston Red Sox game as part of its Sunday Night Baseball telecast. 

On the links, CBS and Golf Channel will offer final round weekend coverage of the AT&T Byron Nelson Classic PGA tournament, while the CW offers live Saturday and Sunday coverage of the LIV golf tournament in Tulsa. 

Both ESPN and Showtime will feature boxing cards Saturday night, with ESPN offering the Janibek Alimkhanuly-Steven Butler WBO middleweight title fight and Showtime airing the Rolando Romero-Ismael Barroso WBA interim junior welterweight title bout. In the octagon, ABC will air a UFC heavyweight main event bout between Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Jailton Almeida. 

Fox on Sunday will air final round coverage of the Professional Bowlers Association’s Players Championship. On the soccer field, USA and Peacock will air nine Premier League games throughout the weekend. 

The return of HBO Max’s Gossip Girl reboot series and the premiere of Disney Plus’ sequel series to the classic movie Willow lead the list of original shows heading into December.

Gossip Girl, a takeoff on The CW series that ran from 2007-2012, premieres its second season December 1 on HBO Max. The series stars Jordan Alexander, Eli Brown, Thomas Doherty, Tavi Gevinson, Emily Alyn Lind and Evan Mock.

Disney Plus’ Willow debuts December 1 and serves as a sequel to the 1988 film of the same name from Ron Howard. The six-episode series stars Warwick Davis, Erin Kellyman, and Elle Bamber.

Below are video trailers and premiere dates for multiple shows debuting the week of November 28 to December 4 on cable networks and streaming services (for some videos, viewer discretion is advised):

November 28 – Whitstable Pearl (returning series) – Acorn TV

November 29 – Casey Anthony: Where the Truth Lies (reality) – Peacock

November 29 – Behind the Music (reality) – Paramount Plus

November 30 – Irreverent (drama) – Peacock

December 1 – Sort of (returning series)-- HBO Max

December 2 – Firefly Lane (returning series) – Netflix

December 2 – Riches (drama) – Prime Video

December 2 -- Three Pines (drama) -- Prime Video

December 2 – Slow Horses (returning series) – Apple TV Plus

December 4 – George & Tammy (music drama) – Showtime

HBO was the big draw at Sunday’s Critics Choice Awards event, garnering more wins than any other distributor.

The ceremony, simulcast live on TBS and The CW, saw HBO/HBO Max win 10 Critics Choice Awards, topping Netflix’s seven wins and Apple TV Plus’s five statuettes, said the Critics Choice Association. 

Apple TV’s Ted Lasso continued its strong TV awards season, winning four Critics Choice Awards to top all series. The show matched its Emmy Award for best comedy with a Critics Choice win in the category, along with wins for best actor (Jason Sudeikis) best supporting actor (Brett Goldstein) and best supporting actress (Hannah Waddingham).

HBO's Succession added the Critics Choice Award for best drama to its 2022 Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Awards wins in the category. Series stars Kieran Culkin and Sarah Snook took home Critics Choice Award statuettes in the best supporting actor and actress categories, respectively. 

Netflix original film The Power of the Dog took home best picture honors, along with a best director statuette for Jane Campion.

Winners from the 27th annual Critics Choice Awards in the television category are as follows:

BEST DRAMA SERIES

Succession (HBO)

BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

Lee Jung-jae – Squid Game (Netflix)  

BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES

Melanie Lynskey – Yellowjackets (Showtime)  

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

Kieran Culkin – Succession (HBO)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES

Sarah Snook – Succession (HBO)  

BEST COMEDY SERIES

Ted Lasso (Apple TV Plus)

BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

Jason Sudeikis – Ted Lasso (Apple TV Plus)

BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES

Jean Smart – Hacks (HBO Max)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

Brett Goldstein – Ted Lasso (Apple TV Plus)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES

Hannah Waddingham – Ted Lasso (Apple TV Plus)

BEST LIMITED SERIES

Mare of Easttown (HBO)

BEST MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION

Oslo (HBO)

BEST ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION

Michael Keaton – Dopesick (Hulu)

BEST ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION

Kate Winslet – Mare of Easttown (HBO)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION

Murray Bartlett – The White Lotus (HBO)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION

Jennifer Coolidge – The White Lotus (HBO)

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE SERIES

Squid Game (Netflix)

BEST ANIMATED SERIES

What If … ?  (Disney Plus)

BEST TALK SHOW

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

BEST COMEDY SPECIAL

Bo Burnham: Inside (Netflix)

It's kind of like looking at the impossibly low water line at Lake Mead these days.

With broadcast's share of the overall U.S. TV audience dried up to only around 23%, according  to Nielsen's latest assessment for June, viewership levels for some network TV shows have dropped to levels we couldn't have imagined a decade ago. 

Take CW's Season 2 premiere Sunday of UK youth drama Dead Pixels, which debuted to a "0" rating in the all-important 18-49 demographic, according to Nielsen Fast Affiliate ratings. 

Overall, the comedy about a trio of online video game enthusiasts, created by Succession executive producer Jon Brown and acquired by CW after debuting on Britain's E4 in 2019, registered a 0.1 rating/1 share and was watched by just 189,000 souls, the research company reported. 

That might be a low-water mark for broadcast television. 

Dead Pixels led out at 9 p.m. to New Zealand series Wellington Paranormal, co-created by Flight of the Conchords mastermind Jemaine Clement and watched by just 225,000 viewers. 

Neither The CW nor NAB are putting out press releases today confirming that this is an all-time low ratings performance for the network or the broader broadcast TV industry. 

But if it's not a record low mark, it's gotta be darned close. 

CBS News and Stations has launched CBSN Sacramento, an ad-supported, direct-to-consumer streaming news service. The stations behind CBSN Sacramento are KOVR and KMAX Sacramento, a CBS-CW pair. 

The launch is the 11th for CBS News and Stations, following the deployment of CBSN New York in late 2018, and similar launches in Los Angeles, Boston, the San Francisco Bay Area, the Twin Cities of Minnesota, Philadelphia, Denver, Pittsburgh, Chicago and Dallas-Fort Worth. 

“Today’s launch of CBSN Sacramento represents the beginning of an exciting new chapter in the history of our stations,” said Justin Draper, VP/general manager of KOVR and KMAX. “We are thrilled to have this opportunity to build on our position in the Sacramento market as the producer of the most hours of local news by dramatically expanding distribution with the launch of our local news streaming service. We recognize there is an audience for news from California’s state capital that extends far beyond the reach of our broadcast signal. We look forward to providing our premium local news content to this wider audience whenever and however they want to watch.”

Similar launches await in Baltimore and Miami for CBS News and Stations. 

Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto is DMA No. 20. 

HBO Max has offered a first-look trailer for its upcoming series Gossip Girl, set to debut July 8.

The series, a reboot of the CW series that ran from 2007-2012, follows a new generation of New York private school teens being introduced to social surveillance nine years after the original blogger’s website went dark, according to the streaming service. 

The series stars Jordan Alexander, Eli Brown, Thomas Doherty, Tavi Gevinson, Emily Alyn Lind, Evan Mock, Zion Moreno, Whitney Peak and Savannah Lee Smith.

The networks continue to nail down their upfront presentation plans, with The CW announcing it will be holding smaller, tailored presentations with agencies and clients.

NBCUniversal meanwhile said it will hold its virtual upfront presentation on May 17 and that parts of it will emanate from the sets of some of its shows.

“We're home to the world’s largest, best aggregation of content – keeping people informed, entertained, and connected,” said Linda Yaccarino, chairman, global advertising & partnerships, NBCUniversal. “Our content is built on the shoulders of world-class broadband and streaming technology, and our new Upfront experience will showcase the vision and opportunities that connect it all.” 

Also Read: Disney, ViacomCBS Set Virtual Upfront Events in May

Last year, a big part of NBCU’s virtual upfront was a special episode of 30 Rock in which the characters at a fictional network owned by a cable company assembled a presentation for advertisers.

NBCU said this year's upfront will feature the stars of its shows, highlighting its content as well as the partnerships and technology it can use to enhance marketers' advertising campaigns.

“This year’s Upfront event is an opportunity only NBCUniversal can bring to our partners -- taking them inside our iconic programming, pulling up a chair beside our talent, and demonstrating what it's like to be a part of our family," said Josh Feldman, chief marketing officer, NBCUniversal Advertising & Partnerships. “We're bringing marketers into the IP that moves audiences around the world, empowering them to activate within our content, and establishing them as the benefactors of the trust and love our viewers have for our stories. Together, we can use the power of storytelling to redefine partnership; reinvent the viewing experience for our audiences; and create real business impact, from small towns to the other side of the world.” 

Also Read: Bad Audience Estimates Hurt Linear Television as Upfronts Approach

Last year, rather than trying to replicate its presentation to buyers via Zoom, the CW held a series of one-on-one virtual meetings with clients during the traditional May time frame. Last year, the pandemic canceled the usually elaborate in-person upfront presentation and delayed negotiations until just before the start of the fall season.

The CW hasn’t foreclosed the possibility of having a larger-scale event when in-person business meetings resume.

The CW will be having a teleconference for the press to unveil its fall schedule and mid-season replacement series on May 25. CW CEO Mark Pedowitz, sales chief Rob Tuck and president of digital and chief branding officer Rick Haskins will answer questions from reporters and others.

The CW has shared premiere dates for its new season, which begins in January. Whose Line Is It Anyway? and Penn & Teller: Fool Us shift to Fridays starting Jan. 8. On Jan. 10, it’s the Critics Choice Super Awards. 

Jan. 12 marks the return of Two Sentence Horror Stories, season two, followed by the U.S. premiere of Canadian supernatural drama Trickster. Based on the novel Son of a Trickster by Eden Robinson, the show stars Joel Oulette as Jared, an Indigenous teen struggling to keep his dysfunctional family above water, but when he starts seeing strange things, his already chaotic life is turned upside down. Trickster is a CBC original series. 

Batwoman returns Sunday, Jan. 17 and All American kicks off season three Jan. 18. 

Jan. 20 is the start of season five of Riverdale, followed by season two of Nancy Drew. 

Walker, starring Jared Padalecki, premieres Jan. 21, followed by Legacies.  

Charmed takes off Jan. 24.  

Feb. 8, it’s Black Lightning. 

The Flash is back Feb. 23, followed by Superman & Lois.

Amidst the challenges the pandemic has laid on production, The CW has had a mix of original and acquired programming in the fall while holding its marquee programming until early 2021.

In a move borne partly of corporate synergy, The CW Network will be carrying MTV’s 2020 VMAs on Aug. 30.

The CW, a joint venture of AT&T and ViacomCBS, became one of MTV’s siblings when Viacom and CBS merged last year.

Like most things on linear TV, ratings for the VMAs have been eroding. To reach more potential viewers, Viacom began simulcasting the award shows on its other cable networks.

This year, the VMAs will appear on 11 ViacomCBS brands in addition to The CW.

A 90-minute VMA pre-show will appear only on MTV

The VMAs will be hosted by Keke Palmer from New York City. The show will feature performances by Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus, The Weeknd, BTS, Black Eyed Peas, Doja Cat, DaBaby, Maluma and CNCO, with more to be announced.

BET’s telecast of its 2017 Hip-Hop Awards turned up a lot of social media noise last night, according to Nielsen.

The special generated 5.8 million social media interactions from 2.5 million unique Twitter and Facebook accounts, according to Nielsen’s Daily Top Five report.

NBC’s This Is Us finished a distant second with 288,000 interactions, followed by USA’s WWE SmackDown!, CW’s The Flash and FX’s American Horror Story:Cult, said Nielsen.

On the live sports front, BeIN Sports’ coverage of the Trinidad and Tobago-United States FIFA World Cup 2018 Qualifying soccer match drew 1.7 million social media interactions to top all events. The US team lost that game, officially eliminating them from 2018 World Cup competition.

Amazon cracked the Golden Globes' mantle with its 'Transparent' scoring the trophy for best TV comedy, as well as its lead Jeffrey Tambor.

The OTT player's family show in which a father, Mort (played by Tambor, pictured) reveals to his three adult children that he's a woman, came out ahead of HBO's 'Girls' and 'Silicon Valley,' The CW's 'Jane the Virgin,' whose star Gina Rodriguez earned the statue for best actress in a musical or a comedy, and Netflix's 'Orange is the New Black.'

Rodriguez's win was the first ever Globe for The CW.

Tambor -- who during his acceptance speech dedicated his award to the transgender community -- beat out such cable notables as Don Cheadle in Showtime's 'House of Lies,' Louis C.K. in FX's 'Louie' and William H. Macy in Showtime's 'Shameless,'  as well as Ricky Gervais in Netflix's 'Derek.'

CBS CEO Les Moonves said the company is considering streaming Showtime content direct to consumers in international markets.

Speaking at Goldman Sachs’ 23rd Annual Communacopia Conference in New York Wednesday, Moonves noted that Showtime currently sells individual shows to other networks in international territories.

“I can see sometime in the future, and I don’t know how long that is, where we’re able to offer a Showtime product and stream it overseas internationally,” he said. “This would be a great way to establish a Showtime channel in the future and stream it all over the world.”

Moonves said that CBS was keeping an eye on Scandinavia, where HBO is offering its programming directly to consumers, rather than through a cable or satellite distributor. “We think it’s very smart.”

Domestic streaming of Showtime directly to consumers seemed a bit further off.

“Is there sometime in the future that that could happen? Absolutely. I don’t know when it is. I don’t know when the timing is right. It’s very exciting,” Moonves said.

Moonves also acknowledged that Tribune Co., which is the largest affiliate group for The CW, owned by CBS and Time Warner, has been looking for more input into how the network is programmed.

Tribune CEO Peter Liguori is a former programmer, Moonves noted. “He would like to participate. He has some good ideas. He’s part of our team. Will there be some change in how the CW is structured going forward? I don’t know.”

Moonves added that Tribune, which recently added the CBS affiliation in Indianapolis, is “a very important part of our future.”

In a move that will likely make its MyNetwork TV and The CW affiliates more valuable come retrans renewal time, Sinclair Broadcast Group said it has created its own original content division – called Sinclair Original Programming – that will focus on entertainment content and business-to-consumer content such as infomercials and direct response commercials.

 Initially, shows will be developed for the company’s MyNets and CWs and will air in prime time and afternoon time periods on the weekend. The division will be led by Arthur Hasson, who is being named chief operating officer of Sinclair Original Programming, reporting  to Sinclair CEO David Smith. Hasson will also continue as General Manager of Sinclair’s CBS, CW and MyNet affiliates, in Harrisburg, Pa.

“Combining content ownership with our premier distribution spectrum of over-the-air television and related digital/web platforms is one of the last key components in securing the value of our platform,” Smith said in a statement. “Controlling our content and its development not only reduces our dependency on others, providing a hedge against network disruptions, but allows us greater economic upside potential.”

Smith added that SOP programming will supplement the more than 1,800 hours of local news programming Sinclair produces each week, its planned cable news network, Ring of Honor Wrestling, high school sports and its newly launched American Sports Network, which will produce and air a minimum of 160 NCAA Division I collegiate games per academic year.

“The media landscape is evolving and controlling distribution, as well as the content delivered through that platform, is even more imperative in order to remain competitive,” Smith continued in his statement.

The addition of original content will also boost the value of MyNetworkTV and CW stations, which generally have lower ratings than their Big Four Network (ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox) counterparts. According to Sinclair’s website, it owns, operates or manages about 40 MyNetwork TV and CW stations across the country. Sinclair has been one of the more aggressive broadcasters in terms of retransmission consent negotiations with distributors.

“Sinclair is a major television broadcaster with multiple distribution platforms and needs for a variety of shows,” Hasson said in a statement. “Our stations have tremendous reach and a wide-range of audience demographics. This venture will provide opportunities for us to meet viewers’ needs and to contribute to the company’s bottom line. By developing original content in connection with talented program producers, we can provide cost effective, flexible projects that can be readily monetized. In addition, we believe there is potential to distribute shows beyond our platforms both domestically and internationally. From the creative side, our large footprint of stations allows us to test concepts and talent efficiently.”

While Hasson will oversee original content development and work directly with production companies and studios, Bill Butler, Vice President of Programming and Promotion, will continue to manage the syndicator and studio relationships, identify programming needs, negotiate content license fees, and oversee promotional budgets and operations.

Hasson has served as General Manager of Sinclair’s CBS and MyNet affiliates in Harrisburg, PA and has oversight for WLYH (CW) in that same market pursuant to a local marketing agreement since 2012. Prior to that and from 2006, he served as Principal/President of MultiPlatform Distribution Company, a producer and distributor of television programming. From 2009 to 2011, he was Co-Creator and Executive Producer of ‘Crowd Sourced Hero’ and ‘Subway® High School Heroes,’ and various other social entertainment programs and competitions. Prior to that, Mr. Hasson was Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder of ClubCreate Inc., a music creation software and services company. From 1990 through 2005, he served in various roles at NBC Universal Television Distribution, including EVP - Cable, Canada and Ancillary Sales; EVP – Sales and New Business; and various sales management roles.