Tribune Broadcasting has picked up Warner Bros.’ off-net sitcom Mom to start airing next fall in 17 Tribune markets, including New York, Los Angels and Chicago, said Ken Werner, president, Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution, and Sean Compton, president, strategic programming and acquisitions, Tribune Media, in a joint statement.
Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution also has sold the comedy, created and executive produced by Chuck Lorre, to stations in 71% of the country, including 27 of the top 30 markets.
“Tribune Broadcasting stations are known to viewers in their respective markets for being the destination for great comedies,” said Compton in a statement. “Mom comes from the successful pedigree of Chuck Lorre, and we see Mom fitting right in with our stations and keeping our lineups fresh.”
Tribune is also the off-net home of Warner Bros.’ Two and a Half Men in top markets, and carries Warner Bros.’ The Big Bang Theory in a few markets, although that show airs on Fox stations in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and other big markets. Mom, Big Bang and Two and a Half Men all are executive produced by Lorre and his team. Two and a Half Men and The Big Bang Theory are two of the highest-grossing sitcoms of all time in off-network syndication, and Big Bang has been the top-rated off-network sitcom in broadcast and cable syndication almost since it premiered on TV stations in 2011.
Another Lorre-produced sitcom, Mike & Molly, also airs on TV stations across the country, and was the 6th-ranked sitcom in syndication in the week ending July 17 at a 1.8 live plus same day national household rating, according to Nielsen. Successful sitcoms on broadcast TV have been in very limited supply in the past several years, with only Twentieth’s Last Man Standing, starring Tim Allen, premiering this fall.
“Mom has all of the elements required for off-net comedy success,” said Werner, also in a statement. “There has been a Chuck Lorre multi-camera comedy atop the off-net syndication ratings for an astounding 457 weeks in a row dating back to 2007. We believe Mom will join the ranks of successful syndication comedies for the master of great sitcoms, Chuck Lorre.”
Beyond Tribune, Warner Bros. has sold Mom, starring Allison Janney and Anna Faris as a mother and daughter living their recoveries together, to stations in the CBS, Hearst, Media General, Raycom, Tegna, Nexstar, Meredith, Gray, Weigel, News Press, Marshall, Hubbard, Griffin, Entravision, Cowles, Block, Bahakel, Capitol Broadcasting Co., Sunbeam and Graham Media groups.
