DirecTV and Scripps Locked in Retransmission Battle, as 54 Local TV Stations Go Dark on the Service Across 36 Markets

By Michael Schneider

Michael Schneider

Variety Editor at Large

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The retransmission battle between Scripps and DirecTV has escalated, with 54 local Scripps stations in 36 Nielsen-designated markets going dark as of 7 p.m. ET on Sunday.

Both sides blamed the other for the blackout, which DirecTV noted comes just before several state and local primary elections in June, as well as the upcoming NBA and NHL finals on ABC, and the U.S. Open golf tournament on NBC.

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