Retransmission Consent

Retrans Fees

Retransmission Fees

Retrans Negotiation

Broadcaster Carriage Consent

Must-Carry vs. Retrans

Retrans Contracts

Retransmission Rights

Retransmission consent is the legal requirement that distributors secure - and usually pay for - a station’s permission to carry its broadcast signal.

Section 325 of the 1992 Cable Act lets full-power broadcasters elect must-carry or pursue retransmission consent, opening the door to cash negotiations and potential blackouts if talks fail, as outlined by the FCC’s official primer.

Escalating live-sports costs help drive fee growth; broadcasters cite multiyear NFL deals when justifying increases. Distributors say hikes inflate consumer bills, while broadcasters argue retrans reflects content value.

Regulators periodically explore arbitration and blackout-reporting rules - witness the FCC’s late-2023 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, which culminated in a 2025 order establishing ongoing blackout disclosure requirements.

For many station groups, retrans revenue now rivals or exceeds core ad sales - making data-driven fee strategy a board-level priority.

Why It Matters:

Retrans fees underpin local-station economics. Entertainment analytics help model how fee shifts or blackouts may influence revenue.

Adapt to the streaming era

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