With all the talk of blackouts recently today, there was some good news as Nexstar and Hearst reached a deal to renew Hearst’s owned The CW affiliates. This deal will also see Hearst add a 7th CW affiliate in Sacramento, CA, with the addition of KQCA-TV. This new affiliate will go live on September 1st, 2023.
“Hearst has been an important partner for The CW throughout the years and we are extremely pleased to be launching a new CW affiliate in Sacramento,” said Dennis Miller, President of The CW Network. “KQCA-TV is already home to LIV Golf in Sacramento, and this agreement will ensure that viewers there won’t miss a moment of our other highly-rated sports and entertainment programming, including ACC college football and basketball, and INSIDE THE NFL, both of which premiere this fall.”
This renewal means The CW will remain on WKCF-TV in Orlando, Florida, KCWE-TV in Kansas City, Missouri, WPXT-TV in Portland, Maine, WCWG-TV, in Greensboro, North Carolina, WNNE-TV in Burlington, Vermont, and KHOG-TV/KHBS-TV in Ft. Smith, Arkansas.
“The evolution of The CW with the infusion of live sports like NASCAR Xfinity Series racing and ACC football and basketball, along with new entertainment programming, brings excitement and momentum to our group,” said Michael J. Hayes, President of Hearst Television. “We look forward to working with Dennis and his team in this expanded partnership, continuing our relationship with the network.”
This is great news for sports fans as recently, The CW has struck several big sporting deals, including one to air select ACC football and basketball games. This would help it expand its sports brand, which has recently reached deals with LIV Golf, NASCAR, and the WNBA.