11/5/2019 by Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter
The company targeted the Nexstar stations because of their presence in NFL markets.
Fox Corp. is continuing its spree of acquisitions, buying three local TV stations in Seattle and Milwaukee from Nexstar Media Group in a deal valued at $350 million.
The stations, KCPQ and KZGO in Seattle and WITI in Milwaukee, were targeted by Fox because they are in “two key markets that align with the company’s sports rights,” Fox said in announcing the pact. The Seattle Seahawks and the Green Bay Packers both play in the National Football Conference, where Fox has extensive NFL rights.
KCPQ and WITI are already Fox affiliates, while KZGO is a MyNetworkTV affiliate. The deal, once completed, will mean Fox owns stations in 14 of the top 15 local TV markets. The company is targeting the pact to close in the first half of 2020, pending regulatory approvals.
As part of the deal, Fox has agreed to sell Nexstar two stations in Charlotte, North Carolina — Fox affiliate WJZY and MyNetworkTV-affiliate WMYT — for approximately $45 million.
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