Byron Allen is putting his broadcast TV stations up for sale.
Allen Media Group said on Monday it has retained investment bank Moelis & Co. to sell its group of 28 owned and operated broadcast TV stations, which are affiliated with ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox in 21 markets across the U.S.
In a news release, Allen said the company has invested more than $1 billion into acquiring the stations over the past six years and after receiving “numerous inquiries and written offers” for most of the stations, has decided to explore a sale.
The Allen Media Group stations join others that have recently hit the sale block. Last year, CNBC reported that Sinclair was exploring the sale of more than 30% of its stations. Apollo Global Management is also reportedly exploring a sale of its Cox Media Group portfolio of TV and radio stations.
Allen Media Group said a sale of the stations would significantly reduce its debt load. Earlier this year, the company refinanced a $100 million debt facility. While S&P Global Ratings said it expected the company to maintain sufficient liquidity over the next 12 months, it noted that Allen Media Group still maintained a junk rating and faced future debt risks.
Last year, CNBC reported that Allen Media Group had been consistently late in making payments to its network owners, in some cases as much as 90 days past due, with the payments totaling tens of millions of dollars throughout the year. The reason for the lateness had been unclear, and representatives for Allen Media Group declined to address the details of CNBC’s reporting.
The stations have also reportedly undergone layoffs.
Allen, a former comedian, founded Entertainment Studios, now known as Allen Media Group, in the early 1990s. He later formed Allen Media Group Broadcasting in 2019 and has built up his profile and business ever since with a string of smaller deals.
He has also become known for expressing interest in buying various media assets to bulk up his media empire. In recent years, he has made a $30 billion bid for Paramount Global when it was up for sale in 2024, as well as a $10 billion offer for ABC and other Disney networks, and he reportedly offered $3.5 billion for Paramount’s BET Media Group.
Disclosure: Comcast’s NBCUniversal is the parent company of CNBC and broadcast network NBC.