Sinclair Broadcast Group is eyeing another major expansion in local television, revealing that it is actively pursuing a deal to acquire E.W. Scripps. The company disclosed the effort in an SEC filing, confirming it has accumulated more than 8 percent of Scripps’ stock in recent weeks as part of a broader strategy to accelerate consolidation across the sector.
According to the filing, Sinclair’s board, management team, and outside advisors have held discussions with Scripps for months. The broadcaster estimated its offer would be valued at roughly three times the recent trading price of Scripps stock. Even so, the documents leave unclear whether Scripps is engaging meaningfully with the proposal.
Scripps executives are slated to outline company priorities Tuesday during the Wells Fargo TMT Summit. A presentation that could shed light on how receptive the leadership team is to Sinclair’s approach. For now, both sides remain tight-lipped publicly. Though Sinclair’s filing underscores its belief that the current economics of local broadcasting demand bigger players with broader reach.
“Recent industry consolidation and intensifying competition reinforce the Reporting Person’s view that further scale in the broadcast television industry is essential,” the filing wrote.
It added that a merger could help local broadcasters counter growing pressure from tech giants, major media conglomerates, and station groups that already benefit from national footprints and vertical integration. Sinclair also argued that increased scale would help safeguard the industry’s long-standing commitment to producing local news and public-service programming.
The potential merger would follow a year marked by aggressive acquisition activity. Earlier in 2025, Nexstar struck a $6.2 billion agreement to acquire TEGNA. A move that, if approved, would make Nexstar the country’s largest owner of local TV stations. Sinclair launched its own strategic review around the same time, signaling that more significant changes could be coming.
For Sinclair, which already operates roughly 185 local TV stations, acquiring Scripps’ portfolio of about 61 stations would dramatically expand its national footprint and strengthen its leverage in future negotiations.
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