Scripps, Comcast agree to end 35-day blackout

The 35-day retransmission dispute between Comcast and the E.W. Scripps Company has ended.

The two companies announced May 5, 2026, that Scripps-owned stations would be restored to Xfinity subscribers that day.

“We’re pleased to have reached a new agreement with the E.W. Scripps Company and thank our customers for their understanding during the negotiations,” reads a statement from Comcast.

As with most retrans disputes, this Scripps-Comcast kerfuffle included finger-pointing from both sides, largely centered around claims that the other party was seeking unfavorable financial terms.

Comcast said that affected customers would be automatically credited with a one-time credit of $9.62 due to the outage. The company referred to the credit as a “broadcast fee,” though it was not clear how the figure was calculated.

Scripps owns around 60 stations in 40 markets across the U.S., though not all are affiliated with ABC, CBS, NBC or Fox. Instead, many operate as independents or carry Scripps-owned networks, including Ion Television and Bounce. 

Other Scripps-owned networks, such as Court TV, Scripps News and Laff, are bundled as digital subchannels with other signals. Scripps also has deals with other networks and services such as CW+, QVC and Antenna TV. Not all of the various stations and subchannels Scripps owns or operates are carried on Xfinity. 

All told, 19 major network-affiliated stations and 21 additional stations were affected (Comcast does not provide service in all of the markets where Scripps owns stations).

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