BYCA Productions
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Media and entertainment |
| Predecessor | Entertainment Studios, Inc. |
| Founded | 1993 |
| Founder | Byron Allen |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles , United States |
Area served | United States; international markets |
Key people | Byron Allen (Founder) |
| Products | Television series, cable and satellite channels, film distribution, television stations |
Allen Media Group, previously known as Entertainment Studios, Inc., is an American media and entertainment enterprise headquartered in Los Angeles. Established in 1993 by businessman Byron Allen, the company initially concentrated on creating and distributing original television series for U.S. syndication. It later expanded through its Entertainment Studios Networks division to operate digital cable and satellite channels that feature both original productions and syndicated programming.
During the late 2010s, Allen Media Group considerably diversified its operations by venturing into film distribution, acquiring The Weather Channel from NBCUniversal and Bain Capital, and collaborating with Sinclair Broadcast Group to oversee the regional sports network group Bally Sports via Diamond Sports Group. The company also increased its broadcast presence by purchasing television stations from the minority-owned Bayou City Broadcasting, thereby strengthening its international reach and market position within the media sector.
History
Byron Allen, who began his career as a stand-up comedian and was a co-host on NBC's Real People (1979–1984), launched his syndicated late-night talk show, The Byron Allen Show, in 1989 through BYCA Productions. In 1991, he founded BYCA Television Distribution to syndicate his program alongside other content. Following the show's cancellation in 1993 and subsequent lawsuits related to unpaid staff, BYCA filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. That same year, Allen created CF Entertainment, which specialized in low-budget syndicated nonfiction formats such as interview series and courtroom shows, often featuring himself as host. CF Entertainment was rebranded as Entertainment Studios in 2003.
In 2011, Entertainment Studios broadened its scope into film and theater by securing rights to produce projects about Sammy Davis Jr.'s life. The company entered scripted television in 2012 with sitcoms Mr. Box Office and The First Family, developed under a rapid production schedule totaling 104 episodes within two years. That year also marked the debut of Justice Central.TV, its inaugural ad-supported cable channel.
In 2015, Entertainment Studios initiated racial discrimination lawsuits against AT&T, Comcast, and Charter Communications for allegedly excluding minority-owned entertainment firms from carriage agreements. AT&T resolved the dispute by adding seven Entertainment Studios channels to DirecTV’s lineup. Comcast’s case eventually advanced to the U.S. Supreme Court.
October 2015 saw a strategic acquisition of Freestyle Releasing, enabling expansion into film distribution through Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures; its first release, 47 Meters Down, earned $44 million at the box office. In June 2016, the company acquired TheGrio, a digital news platform targeting African American audiences.
In 2017, Entertainment Studios introduced Sports.tv, an over-the-top streaming service dedicated to sports content. In March 2018, it purchased The Weather Channel’s television assets for about $300 million. Later that year, it secured $500 million in credit facilities to support further acquisitions and bolster production capabilities.
By May 2019, through its subsidiary Diamond Sports Group, Entertainment Studios became an equity partner in Sinclair Broadcast Group’s acquisition of Fox Sports Networks (rebranded as Bally Sports). Soon after, it launched Allen Media Broadcasting by acquiring four small-market TV stations for $165 million and expanded this portfolio with eleven additional stations in February 2020.
In June 2020, Comcast agreed to carry multiple Entertainment Studios channels as part of settling the racial discrimination lawsuit. That October, Allen purchased This TV and Light TV from MGM.
April 2021 marked the acquisition of seven television stations from Gray Television, increasing the total portfolio to 23 network-affiliated stations across 19 markets. In July 2022, Allen Media Group acquired Black News Channel out of bankruptcy for $11 million and integrated its distribution into TheGrio.TV.
In 2023, Byron Allen made notable bids including a $10 billion offer for Disney’s ABC, FX, and National Geographic linear TV assets and a $3.5 billion proposal for Paramount’s BET Media Group. By early 2024, his bid rose to $30 billion for Paramount Global; after Skydance Media’s offer was accepted, Allen sought to surpass it.
Beginning in April 2024, Allen Media Group reduced its workforce by approximately 12% to optimize operations for future growth. However, by August it faced criticism over delayed payments to major networks. In January 2025, additional layoffs targeted local meteorologists as weather coverage centralized at The Weather Channel; following public outcry, some local meteorologists were retained.
In June 2025, Allen Media Group announced intentions to explore selling its portfolio of 28 owned-and-operated broadcast television stations.
McDonald's advertising litigation
In 2021, Allen initiated a $10 billion lawsuit against the fast food corporation McDonald's, accusing it of racial discrimination by declining to engage with Black-owned media companies Entertainment Studios and Weather Group. This case was dismissed later that same year.
Subsequently, Allen filed another federal complaint alleging racial prejudice, emphasizing that although Black consumers constitute 40% of fast food patrons, McDonald's dedicated merely 0.3% of its $1.6 billion advertising budget in the U.S. during 2019 to media outlets owned by African Americans. McDonald's characterized the lawsuit as focusing on economic inclusion efforts for Black-owned enterprises.
By May 2021, McDonald's committed to raising its expenditure on Black-owned media from 2% to 5% of its advertising budget by the year 2024. Nevertheless, in 2023, Allen filed suit once more in California courts, accusing McDonald's of not fulfilling this pledge.
Prior to a trial planned for 2025, both federal and state cases were resolved under confidential agreements. McDonald's consented to purchase advertisements consistent with its marketing goals, while Allen recognized the corporation's dedication to investing in Black-owned media and expanding access to opportunities.
Entertainment Studios' television distribution
Entertainment Studios distributes its syndicated shows through a barter system that does not require stations to pay rights fees. The company markets national ad space, ensuring combined audience numbers across all shows, and shares revenue with broadcasting stations. Founder Byron Allen emphasized that this approach appeals to stations unable to afford traditional syndication models, reaching an estimated 20 to 25 million viewers weekly.
Cost savings are realized by employing non-union personnel and maintaining efficient production processes, allowing for swift content output. For instance, the studio’s courtroom programs utilize actors in dramatizations rather than arbitration-based formats, cutting costs related to travel and legal proceedings. The studio’s inaugural series, Entertainers with Byron Allen, kept expenses low by filming at press junkets using equipment supplied by studios.
These methods have produced significant advertising income even during time slots with lower viewership or extended breaks between new episodes.
Courtroom programs
- America's Court with Judge Ross
- Equal Justice with Judge Eboni K. Williams
- Justice for All with Judge Cristina Pérez
- Justice for the People with Judge Milian
- Justice with Judge Mablean
- Mathis Court with Judge Mathis
- Supreme Justice with Judge Karen
- The Verdict with Judge Hatchett
- We the People with Judge Lauren Lake (initially hosted by Gloria Allred)
Situation comedies
- The First Family (syndicated from September 2012 to April 25, 2015)
- Mr. Box Office (syndicated from September 2012 to April 25, 2015)
Game show productions
Syndicated special presentations
- Comedy Jam
- Feel the Beat
- Happy Holidays America
- We Have a Dream
Talk and magazine programs
- Beautiful Homes & Great Estates
- Career Day
- Comics Unleashed
- Designers, Fashions & Runways
- Entertainers with Byron Allen
- Global Business People
- The Gossip Queens
- Latin Lifestyles
- Kickin' It with Byron Allen
- Urban Style
- The Writer's Hot List
- The Young Icons
Additional series
- The American Athlete
- The World's Funniest Weather
Cable and digital platforms
- Automotive.TV
- Cars.TV
- Comedy.TV
- ES.TV
- MyDestination.TV
- Pets.TV
- Recipe.TV
Broadcast channels
- Justice Central.TV, introduced on December 10, 2012, available on AT&T U-verse’s family package.
- Weather Group networks:
Allen Media Broadcasting
Allen Media Broadcasting, LLC operates as a television station ownership entity under Allen Media Group. In May 2019, Entertainment Studios broadened its portfolio by acquiring Bayou City Broadcasting’s stations for $165 million, including WEVV-TV and KADN-TV, establishing the foundation for Allen Media Broadcasting. The transaction was finalized in July 2019.
By October 2019, Allen Media reached an agreement to acquire 11 stations from USA Television for $290 million; the acquisition completed in February 2020. In March 2020, the company submitted a proposal to purchase Tegna’s station group. Subsequently, in August 2020, it acquired KITV, the ABC affiliate in Hawaii, for $30 million.
In April 2021, Allen Media finalized the purchase of 10 stations from Gray Television for $380 million as part of Gray’s divestiture related to its Quincy Media acquisition. Additionally, in July 2021, the company secured WJRT-TV in Flint, Michigan, for $70 million.
December 2021 saw Allen Media announce plans to acquire three stations in Montgomery, Alabama from Woods Communications for $28.5 million, enhancing its regional footprint alongside Huntsville’s WAAY-TV.
In January 2025, Allen Media intended to outsource local weather broadcasts across its stations to The Weather Channel to streamline meteorologist staffing and reduce expenses; this strategy was later reversed following public opposition.
Confronted with increasing debt and fiscal pressures, Byron Allen declared in June 2025 that the company would consider strategic alternatives including divesting television stations in 21 markets to improve financial health and business growth prospects.
Owned television stations
Stations are organized alphabetically by state and city of license.
| City of license / Market | Station | Ownership since | Network affiliation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Huntsville, Alabama | WAAY-TV | 31 (17) | 2020 | ABC |
| Montgomery, Alabama | WALE-LD | 17 (16) | 2023 | Montgomery Weather Channel |
| WCOV-TV | 20 (22) | 2023 | Fox | |
| WIYC | 48 (19) | 2023 | Cozi TV | |
| Tucson, Arizona | KVOA | 4 (23) | 2021 | NBC |
| Chico–Redding, California | KHSL-TV | 12 (36) | 2020 | |
| KNVN | 24 (24) | 2020 |
| |
| Hilo, Hawaii | KHVO | 4 (18) | 2021 | ABC |
| Honolulu, Hawaii | KITV | 4 (20) | 2021 | ABC |
| KIKU | 20 (19) | 2022 | Independent | |
| Wailuku, Hawaii | KMAU | 4 (29) | 2021 | ABC |
| Harrisburg–Carbondale, Illinois | WSIL-TV | 3 (34) | 2021 | ABC |
| Rockford, Illinois | WREX | 13 (13) | 2021 | NBC |
| Evansville, Indiana | WEVV-TV | 44 (28) | 2019 |
|
| WEEV-LD | 47 (21) | 2019 | Fox/MyNetworkTV | |
| Fort Wayne, Indiana | WFFT-TV | 55 (20) | 2020 | Fox |
| Terre Haute, Indiana | WTHI-TV | 10 (10) | 2020 |
|
| Lafayette, Indiana | WLFI-TV | 18 (11) | 2020 |
|
| Waterloo, Iowa–Cedar Rapids, Iowa | KWWL | 7 (7) | 2021 | NBC |
| Lafayette, Louisiana | KADN-TV | 15 (16) | 2019 |
|
| KLAF-LD | 14 (14) | 2019 | NBC | |
| Flint, Michigan–Saginaw, Michigan | WJRT-TV | 12 (12) | 2021 | ABC |
| Mason City, Iowa–Rochester, Minnesota | KIMT | 3 (24) | 2020 |
|
Television Networks
In October 2020, Allen Media Group broadened its holdings by purchasing two over-the-air specialty channels from MGM Television:
- TheGrio, which centers on African-American cultural content.
- This TV, primarily showcasing MGM’s extensive film catalog.
Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures
| Year | Release Date | Film Title | Director | Box Office Gross |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | June 16, 2017 | 47 Meters Down | Johannes Roberts | $44.3 million |
| September 22, 2017 | Friend Request | Simon Verhoeven | $3.7 million | |
| December 22, 2017 | Hostiles | Scott Cooper | $40.9 million | |
| 2018 | March 9, 2018 | The Hurricane Heist | Rob Cohen | $15.8 million |
| April 6, 2018 | Chappaquiddick | John Curran | $18 million | |
| 2019 | January 11, 2019 | Replicas | Jeffrey Nachmanoff | $8.1 million |
| August 16, 2019 | 47 Meters Down: Uncaged | Johannes Roberts | $22.2 million | |
| September 20, 2019 | The Wedding Year | Robert Luketic | — | |
| November 1, 2019 | Arctic Dogs | Aaron Woodley | $3.6 million |
Since 2016, Entertainment Studios has notably expanded its presence in film distribution. The company placed a significant $20 million offer for The Birth of a Nation at Sundance Film Festival but was ultimately outbid by Fox Searchlight. In July of that year, it secured a multi-year agreement with Anchor Bay Entertainment for home video and on-demand distribution of upcoming theatrical releases and acquired North American distribution rights to 47 Meters Down from Dimension Films.
At the Toronto Film Festival in 2017, Entertainment Studios obtained several titles including Chappaquiddick, Replicas, and Hostiles. The firm aimed to distribute a minimum of eighteen films in 2018, concentrating on mid-range budget projects often neglected by major studios. CEO Byron Allen characterized the strategy as focusing on “studio crumbs”—films generating $40–60 million—by releasing them widely across 1,500 to 4,000 screens with gradual rollouts designed to optimize profitability while growing market share within underserved audiences. This tactic capitalizes on Entertainment Studios’ unique position in niche film distribution.
Diamond Sports Group
Diamond Sports Group is a joint venture between Sinclair Broadcast Group and Entertainment Studios that operates Bally Sports, a collection of regional sports networks previously branded as the Fox Sports Networks. Established in 2019, the entity acquired these networks from The Walt Disney Company after Disney was required to divest them during its 21st Century Fox acquisition. This acquisition strategically enhanced Sinclair’s presence in the sports media landscape by increasing its regional sports broadcasting capabilities and expanding revenue opportunities.