Sinclair Broadcast Group currently operates ABC-affiliated stations in a wide range of mid‑size and large U.S. markets, including Washington, D.C., Portland (Oregon), and Chattanooga (Tennessee), among others. Public reporting in 2025 puts the total at roughly three dozen local ABC affiliates under Sinclair’s ownership or operational control.

Quick scoop: what Sinclair owns

Sinclair is one of the biggest local‑TV owners in the U.S., with stations tied to every major broadcast network (ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, CW, etc.). Within that portfolio, it controls a subset of ABC affiliates through direct ownership or service/operating agreements, rather than owning the ABC network itself.

Key points:

  • Sinclair runs about 38 local ABC affiliates nationwide as of mid‑2020s reporting.
  • These ABC stations are spread across 30+ markets, often outside the handful of very largest “ABC‑owned” cities like New York or Los Angeles, which Disney/ABC itself controls.
  • The exact list can shift over time as affiliations and ownership deals are renewed or restructured.

Where does Sinclair own ABC stations?

News coverage explicitly notes several markets where Sinclair controls the ABC affiliate:

  • Washington, D.C. – Sinclair operates the local ABC station there (historically WJLA‑TV) as one of its flagship ABC properties.
  • Portland, Oregon – Sinclair runs the ABC affiliate in the Portland market.
  • Chattanooga, Tennessee – Sinclair controls the ABC affiliate serving Chattanooga.

In addition, Sinclair has ABC affiliation renewals and service agreements in places like:

  • Rochester, New York – Sinclair provides sales/other services to ABC affiliate WHAM under a joint sales agreement.
  • Traverse City, Michigan – Sinclair similarly provides services to WGTU and WGTQ, which carry ABC programming.

These examples illustrate the pattern: Sinclair either owns the station outright or controls key operations (news, sales, programming carriage) while the station carries ABC network content.

If you need a literal, up‑to‑date “complete list,” the most reliable place is the latest affiliate/ownership list published by Sinclair or Disney/ABC, or a current industry tracker, since station portfolios and affiliations change with new deals and FCC approvals.

Why this is a trending topic

Sinclair’s ABC stations have drawn extra attention in 2024–2025 because of political and editorial issues. For example, coverage has noted that Sinclair, known for a conservative editorial slant, used its ABC affiliates to pressure ABC over Jimmy Kimmel’s comments about conservative activist Charlie Kirk. This episode reminded many viewers that what looks like a local ABC station can in fact be operated by a large national group with its own corporate editorial priorities.

How Sinclair’s role affects what you see

From a viewer’s perspective, a Sinclair‑owned ABC station typically:

  • Still carries core ABC network shows (e.g., primetime entertainment, national news), under affiliation agreements renewed into 2026.
  • Has local news that may reflect Sinclair’s centralized strategies, including past use of standardized “must‑run” segments and commentary.
  • Acts as the main ABC outlet in that market, even though ABC itself only directly owns stations in a limited set of biggest cities.

So, when you ask “where does Sinclair own ABC stations,” the short, practical answer is: in a few dozen markets across the U.S., notably including Washington, D.C., Portland (OR), Chattanooga (TN), Rochester (NY), Traverse City (MI), and many other mid‑size markets where the local “ABC” station is actually run by Sinclair.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.