New Sinclair RSN Center to Have 'Provisions' for Future UHD Channels: CEO

The broadcast industry expects ATSC 3.0 services to be available in 45 markets covering more than 60% of U.S. TV households by year-end, said Sinclair CEO Chris Ripley on a Q4 call Wednesday. That's close to the industry’s NAB Show 2019 goals for year-end 2020 before COVID-19 travel and lockdown restrictions hindered 3.0's national rollout (see 2009220034). The ability for 3.0 to provide a “superior audio and visual experience” to targeted homes and devices and to be used for datacasting “are just a few ways we believe this important IP transmission technology can be monetized for the future,” said Ripley. Sinclair plans to transition its regional sports networks operations from a Disney facility in The Woodlands, Texas, to “a brand new, state-of-the-art” 25,000-square-foot “sports media operations center” at Encompass Digital Media in Atlanta this year, said the CEO. The facility can run up to 50 regional sports network channels, “including provisions for ultra-high-definition channels in the future. The new digital facility will allow us to take advantage of new business models, and we’re eager to make the move later this year.”