Today we’re going to be looking at the largest such local TV station owner/operator in the United States, Nexstar Media Group ( NASDAQ: NXST ). They’re looking to get even bigger through an announced acquisition of Tegna ( TGNA ), a substantial competitor.

NBC affiliate 9News draws the most viewers to its daily newscasts, followed by KDVR (Fox), KCNC (CBS), KMGH (ABC) and KWGN (The CW, which is also owned by Nexstar), Comscore reported. Leaders 9News and Fox31 have frequently jockeyed for the top position in the Denver-Aurora market over the last five years, Comscore has reported.

Nexstar says its $6.2 billion takeover of Tegna is expected to close in the second half of 2026 — timing that would align with the lucrative wave of political ads during the midterm elections. But that plan still depends on Tegna shareholders, who may yet consider Sinclair’s competing offer.

Nexstar’s takeover of Tegna, enabled by Trump-era deregulation, positions the company to reach 80% of U.S. households