Byron Allen Moving Into Station Ownership

Byron Allen’s Entertainment Studios has struck a deal to buy four small-market TV stations from Bayou City Broadcasting for $165 million.

Byron Allen

Variety reports Entertainment Studios announced the Bayou City deal on the heels of Friday’s news that Allen has joined with Sinclair Broadcast Group in the $10.6 billion acquisition of 21 regional sports networks that Disney was required to sell in order to acquire other 21st Century Fox assets.

Allen joined Sinclair as an equity partner in the newly established Diamond Holdings venture that will house the RSNs.Entertainment Studios is buying two Bayou City stations in Evansville, Ind.: the CBS affiliate WEVV-TV and Fox affiliate WEEV-TV. In Lafayette, La., Allen is picking up NBC affil KLAF-TV and Fox affil KADN-TV.

The TV station purchases mark an expansion for Entertainment Studios which operates nine cable channels including Weather Channel. The company, privately held solely by Allen, also has a film production and distribution arm. The TV stations will be held through the Allen Media Broadcasting unit.

Allen said he is looking to buy more stations.