Nexstar-TEGNA $6.2 Billion Merger Review Begins in Earnest
Sinclair, Gray Media, and Others Line Up for M&A Wave
FCC Ownership Cap Decision Will Reshape the Industry — Implications for Korean Media
Introduction: 2026 — A Decisive Year for U.S. Broadcasting
The new year has arrived, and 2026 promises to be the most consequential year in recent memory for the U.S. local TV broadcasting industry. On December 31, 2025, the deadline passed for filing petitions to deny Nexstar Media Group's $6.2 billion acquisition of TEGNA. The Federal Communications Commission's substantive review now begins.
Following Nexstar-TEGNA, Sinclair Broadcast Group's attempted acquisition of E.W. Scripps, Apollo Global Management's potential sale of Cox Media Group, and Gray Media's aggressive duopoly strategy all point to what could become the largest industry restructuring in U.S. broadcast history.