ABC to move St. Louis affiliation from KDNL to Gray Media

ABC plans to move its St. Louis affiliation from Sinclair’s KDNL to Gray Media beginning Sept. 1.

The change, as first reported by Deadline and confirmed by NCS, will place ABC programming on over-the-air channel 32.1, along with carriage on cable, satellite and streaming providers. 

Channel 32.1 is currently home to Matrix Midwest, which is a local sports network covering the St. Louis Cardinals, Blues, City SC and along with various regional college sports. 

“This is a landmark moment for St. Louis viewers and a testament to our commitment to local journalism,” said JD Sosnoff, KMOV VP and general manager. “By bringing ABC programming to KMOV, we are not only expanding entertainment options but, more importantly, delivering vital local news and public service to a community that has been underserved in this area. KMOV’s award-winning news team is uniquely positioned to provide the high-quality, local coverage that St. Louis families deserve.”

KDNL has been affiliated with ABC since 1995. Its affiliation agreement expires at the end of August, though the station will continue carrying ABC programming until then.

KDNL was one of the only ABC affiliates in a top 25 Designated Market Area (DMA) to not air local news content, with the station having a minimal presence in St. Louis. 

The St. Louis change follows another recent ABC affiliation switch.

In 2025, the network moved its Miami affiliation from Berkshire Hathaway-owned WPLG to a subchannel of Sunbeam Television’s WSVN.

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The development came the same day CBS announced plans to move its affiliations away from Nexstar Media Group stations in six markets, including Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Editor’s Note: Updated with additional context from Gray Media.