DIRECTV Restores Indianapolis Channels After Dispute

Circle City Broadcasting and DIRECTV reached a retransmission agreement, returning ABC, CW, and MyNetworkTV affiliates to the satellite provider's lineup.

Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Television

Bold flat-color editorial illustration of a single satellite dish on a brick wall with a cable running to a receiver, set against a distant city horizon. — DIRECTV and Circle City Broadcasting reached a retransmission agreement on Nov. 5, restoring Indianapolis ABC, CW, and MyNetworkTV stations to satellite subscribers after a two-month blackout. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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DIRECTV and Circle City Broadcasting reached a retransmission agreement on Nov. 5, restoring Indianapolis channels WRTV, WISH-TV, and WNDY-TV to DIRECTV customers. Customers began to see the channels return the afternoon of Nov. 5.

Why it matters

The dispute centered on retransmission fees that DIRECTV pays broadcasters to carry their channels, and the blackout left Indianapolis viewers without local ABC, CW, and MyNetworkTV programming. The return of these stations restores local news, sports, and network coverage for DIRECTV subscribers in the market.

Circle City Broadcasting paid $83 million for WRTV from E.W. Scripps Co., and WISH-TV and WNDY-TV had been withheld from DIRECTV for more than seven years before the agreement. The terms of the new deal are not publicly disclosed, leaving the final fee structure unconfirmed.

The players

DIRECTV

DIRECTV is a satellite television provider that distributes broadcast and cable channels to subscribers across the United States.

Circle City Broadcasting

Circle City Broadcasting is an Indianapolis-based broadcaster that owns WRTV, WISH-TV, and WNDY-TV and has been in a long-running carriage dispute with DIRECTV.

DuJuan McCoy

DuJuan McCoy is the owner of Circle City Broadcasting who previously sued DIRECTV and Dish Network for racial discrimination, a case a judge dismissed in 2023.

The details

DIRECTV removed WRTV from its service on Aug. 24 after a little more than two months of disagreement, and the dispute over WISH-TV and WNDY-TV had lasted longer. The dispute centered on retransmission fees, with DIRECTV stating that Circle City's ask was nearly double what WRTV's previous owner received.

2019: Circle City acquired WISH-TV and WNDY-TV, and the dispute with DIRECTV began.
2023: A judge dismissed discrimination lawsuits that Circle City owner DuJuan McCoy had filed against DIRECTV and Dish Network.
March 31, 2026: Circle City's acquisition of WRTV from E.W. Scripps Co. officially closed.
Aug. 24, 2026: DIRECTV removed WRTV from its service.
Nov. 5, 2026: DIRECTV and Circle City reached the agreement, and channels were restored.

Industry Dynamics

Carriage fights over retransmission consent fees have periodically pulled local broadcast stations off pay-TV platforms, reflecting the leverage broadcasters hold over distributors. This Indianapolis dispute, which ran from 2019 through a blackout in 2026, fits that pattern of prolonged negotiations that leave viewers caught in the middle.

Indianapolis DIRECTV subscribers can again watch WRTV, WISH-TV, and WNDY-TV on their service as of Nov. 5. The agreement restores access to ABC, CW, and MyNetworkTV affiliates that were unavailable on the satellite provider during the dispute.

The takeaway

Carriage disputes can leave viewers without local stations for months, so subscribers facing a blackout may want to check whether their provider's negotiations are still pending. Monitoring carriage agreements is a practical way to anticipate when local channels could disappear.