George Lopez is moving over to Ion.
Ion Television has acquired the exclusive broadcast syndication rights to Warner Bros.' off-net sitcom, which just finished its first cycle in syndication. The show now moves off of TV stations across the country and will air exclusively on Ion.
George Lopez will start airing on Ion on Thursday, Sept. 29, with a three-hour block running each week from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. ET/PT on Thursdays, 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET/PT on Fridays and 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. ET/PT on Sundays.
"Adding a high-quality, comedic series such as George Lopez to our lineup is another strategic step in expanding Ion's schedule and provides us momentum as we head into the new television season," says Brandon Burgess, CEO of Ion Media Networks, in a statement. "We especially like this show for its crossover potential into daytime, which is an expansion focus for us going forward."
Ion's daytime previously started at 3 p.m., but now will start at 1 p.m., with off-net programming airing from 1 p.m. until 2 a.m. The network's early morning and pre-1 p.m. hours are filled with paid programs.
Ion has been actively acquiring off-net programming over the past few years, adding such shows as the off-CBS Ghost Whisperer, Criminal Minds, and Flashpoint, which premieres on the network on Oct. 18, as well as Psych, Monk and House from NBCUniversal. Ion recently also acquired Leverage, which airs on TNT.
