If you use Hulu to watch your local TV stations live, you may notice a channel missing this week. That’s because the streamer has unexpectedly lost the rights to stream content from Sinclair Broadcast Group, which owns numerous local ABC affiliates across the United States.
Although the company hasn’t released an official statement on the matter, it has been replying to inquiries about missing ABC affiliates. In one replay today, Hulu Support tweeted, “Sinclair owns a number of ABC affiliates across the country and as of March 8, Hulu no longer has the rights to distribute those channels.”
Sorry, Jenn! Sinclair owns a number of local ABC affiliates across the country and as of March 8, Hulu no longer has the rights to distribute those channels. We’ll share your feedback with our team.
— Hulu Support (@hulu_support) March 9, 2023
While there’s no definitive list of which local stations have left Hulu, Sinclair’s website lists 40 stations across the united states that it owns and are ABC affiliates.
However, although local stations may have gone away, they may return as Hulu, ABC (and parent company Disney), and Sinclair continue negotiating streaming rights. Plus, much of ABC’s content is still available through the streaming giant.
It’s also worth noting that you can still get these channels for free on your TV. Stations still broadcast over-the-air waves in the cities in which they operate. All you need to do is buy a TV antenna. They’re inexpensive and provide an excellent backup for cases like this one, and they’re also great for when the internet goes out.
