5 Major TV Station Groups To Sign On For ATSC 3.0 By 2020

Expanding beyond its initial Phoenix test market, five major TV station groups have announced plans to commit to starting the new next-generation TV broadcast standard -- ATSC 3.0 -- in two years.

Fox Television Stations, NBC and the Telemundo-owned stations group, Univision, Tegna, and Nexstar Media Group have signed on -- and are expected to begin launching the new standard by 2020.

In promoting the new standard, TV stations consortiums Pearl TV -- representing eight broadcasting companies with over 220 TV stations -- the Consumer Technology Association, and SpectrumCo -- representing 350 TV stations -- say the new standard with stations is not exclusive.

It will include other broadcasters with interests in next-gen TV services, including commercial and public TV broadcasters.

Anne Schelle, managing director of Pearl TV, says the new standard looks to bring more -- and younger consumers -- back to TV.

“Millennials are very interested in the service,” she told Television News Daily, looking at a recent consumer survey analysis. It shows almost 80% of core young consumers find next-gen TV standards “appealing” and are also “likely” to purchase a new TV set to enable those TV features.

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This expands the ATSC 3.0 test that started last year in Phoenix for 10 TV stations, managed by Pearl TV. A small market of TV stations, owned by News-Press & Gazette Company in Santa Barbara, Calif., recently announced its effort to launch ATSC 3.0.

The new ATSC 3.0 standard has promised more digital media-like interactive engagement and mobile TV access for consumers, including more localized programming content. For TV station owners, it offers new revenue opportunities, including new advertising business.

The new standard will provide information and entertainment to ATSC 3.0-equipped television receivers, as well as automobiles, and other digital and mobile consumer devices. The rollout is expected to be concurrent with new consumer TV products equipped to receive ATSC 3.0.

Current TV manufacturing partners for the ATSC 3.0 standard include Samsung, Sony, and LG.

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