President Trump reversed course on Saturday and appeared to endorse Nexstar Media Group’s $6.2 billion buy of its rival Tegna.
“We’d like extra competitors in opposition to THE ENEMY, the Faux Information Nationwide TV Networks,” the president mentioned in a publish on Reality Social, including that “good offers” like Nexstar’s buy of Tegna will “assist knock out the Faux Information as a result of there might be extra competitors.”
“These which might be opposed do not totally perceive how good the idea of this Deal is for them, however they are going to sooner or later. GET THAT DEAL DONE!” he wrote.
Nexstar’s acquisition of Tegna, which was introduced in August, requires regulatory approval. The deal would carry collectively two corporations with vital holdings in native broadcast media, increasing Nexstar’s attain within the U.S. tv and native information panorama. Nexstar oversees greater than 200 owned and accomplice stations in 116 markets nationwide right this moment and likewise runs networks like The CW and NewsNation. Tegna owns 64 information stations throughout 51 markets.
If authorised by Tegna shareholders, the deal is anticipated to shut within the second half of 2026.
In November, Mr. Trump criticized the acquisition. “If this may additionally permit the Radical Left Networks to ‘enlarge,’ I might not be blissful,” he wrote then.
However the corporations function independently of the massive broadcast networks. In September, Nexstar, together with the right-leaning Sinclair Broadcast Group, suspended Jimmy Kimmel’s ABC late-night speak present for a few week after Kimmel’s feedback on the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
The deal has occurred because the Federal Communications Fee is looking for to reform guidelines that restrict native TV station possession. Some courtroom choices have additionally struck down laws that restricted the variety of high TV stations in a single market that one firm might personal.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr mentioned in a social media publish on Saturday that he supported Mr. Trump, saying the president is “precisely proper.”
“The nationwide networks like Comcast & Disney have amassed an excessive amount of energy. For years, they have been pushing this Hollywood & New York programming all around the nation with no actual checks,” he wrote in a publish on social media. “Let’s get it performed and produce actual competitors to them.”
Nexstar has sought to painting the deal as per the Trump administration’s deregulatory strikes.
“The initiatives being pursued by the Trump administration supply native broadcasters the chance to develop attain, stage the enjoying discipline, and compete extra successfully with the Large Tech and legacy Large Media corporations which have unchecked attain and huge monetary assets,” Nexstar’s CEO, Perry Sook, mentioned when saying the deal.
The information of the acquisition got here as extra Individuals shift from cable — in what’s generally known as “cord-cutting” — to streaming. In line with a July 2025 Gallup ballot of round 10,000 U.S. adults, 83% mentioned they watch streaming providers, whereas 36% mentioned they at present subscribe to cable or satellite tv for pc TV at residence.
