Tribune Reaches Distribution Deal With Cablevision

Tribune Media Co. and Cablevision Systems said they reached a new multi-year content and media agreement.

The deal gives Cablevision’s Optimum TV cable customers access to Tribune stations including WPIX-TV in New York, WTIC-TV and WCCT-TV in Hartford and WPHL in Philadelphia. Cablevision also agreed to launch Tribune’s cable network WGN America in the New York metropolitan area in January.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

“Cablevision is a tremendous distribution partner and we are looking forward to bringing WGN America’s new original dramas such as Underground and Outsiders and exclusive syndicated programming like Elementary and Person of Interest to new audiences in the nation’s #1 market,” said Dana Zimmer, president of distribution for Tribune Broadcasting. “In addition, reaching agreement to extend Cablevision’s retransmission of WPIX and our stations in Hartford and Philadelphia ensures that millions of people in the tri-state area will continue to enjoy Mets and Yankees baseball games alongside high-quality local news, sports and entertainment programming for years to come.”

Cablevision also renewed the uses of TV listing and movie data provided by Tribune’s Gracenote unit.

"We are pleased to extend our long-standing relationship with Tribune Media on both the programming and media side and look forward to providing more compelling content with the addition of WGN America in 2016,” said Tom Montemagno, executive VP of programming for Cablevision.

Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.