In broadcasting, television syndication is the sale of a right to transmit radio and television programs to various individual stations, beyond going through a transmission network.

In the rest of the Earth, most nations have closed networks without local affiliates and syndication is somewhat less characteristic, although the programs can also be distributed internationally. The designation is sometimes referred to by its abbreviated form, “Cindy” in the company and television unions.

Television distribution is not the same as selling the program to a television network; Once a network broadcasts a program, it is certain that it will be broadcast on all affiliates in the network, on the same day of the week and at the same time. Some production companies write their submissions and sell them to networks at least in the beginning, waiting for the moment when the series is successful and contingent off-network syndication will generate profits for the show.

The exchange of programs for airtime is considered a “barter”. Syndication can take the form of weekly or daily syndication. Game shows, some entertainment “tabloid” and story shows, and stripped talk shows air every day or week, while most other first-run syndicated shows air weekly.

Television networks, especially in their original years, did not offer full-day television programming for their affiliates, not even at night or during “prime time.” To put this in other words, while the main production of any television series may not make money for your production studio, the subsequent distribution will generate enough revenue to make up for any diminishing returns. Off-network syndication occurs when a network television program is distributed in a combination of some or all of the episodes, and is sold to as many television stations as possible.

Sitcoms tend to do better in syndication than some drama shows thanks to the fact that most sitcoms have few running stories. A viewer can watch numerous half-hour sitcoms without worrying that missing the previous episode will ruin their view of the current episode. Similarly, unions and stations will often broadcast episodes of some series not to satisfy other needs at the price of viewer gratification. This is less expensive for sitcoms than other shows with added serial elements. Religious television programming and children’s television productions have also seen good results recently for the same reason as television exercise programs and, of course, judge programs.