DirectTV, Nextstar reach agreement. Fox 40 will ‘temporarily return’ to Sacramento screens

Nexstar Media Group and DirecTV have reached a temporary agreement after a months-long impasse over carriage fees resulted in KTXL-TV — the south Sacramento-based television station known as Fox 40 — being dropped from DirecTV in July.

Local channels, including Ch. 40, which broadcast the San Francisco 49ers’ Sunday afternoon game against the Los Angeles Rams, were restored as negotiations continue.

“In recognition and appreciation of the continued patience of DirecTV customers and Nexstar viewers, the companies have agreed to temporarily return the signals of the Nexstar-owned television stations and national cable news network NewsNation to DirecTV, DirecTV STREAM, and U-verse while we both work to complete the terms of an agreement,” the two companies said in a joint statement released Sunday morning.

The initial signal interruption occurred when Nexstar, the No. 1 local-station owner in the U.S, reportedly demanded “more than double the amount it charges for DirecTV customers to access approximately 200 local broadcast stations it owns or controls in more than 100 different metro areas across the U.S.,” DirecTV said in an August statement.

The dispute affected U-Verse and DirecTV streaming customers nationwide.

“Nexstar has been negotiating tirelessly and in good faith in an attempt to reach a mutually agreeable multi-year contract,” the company said in a statement last month. Nexstar created a website encouraging customers to call DirecTV and complain or request a rebate.

Nexstar and DirecTV had no further comment late Sunday morning.