Thousands of households in New Jersey could turn on their televisions Sunday and find NBC channels dark as a result of a dispute between the network and Charter Communications.

The existing deal between Comcast-owned NBC Universal and Charter cable, which was recently rebranded as Spectrum after an acquisition that included Time Warner cable, expires Saturday at midnight, according to Variety.com.

If an agreement isn't reached, about 1 million households in the New York City area and 16 million nationwide will lose stations such as NBC, NBC Sports Network, MSNBC, Bravo, E!, USA and SyFy, Variety reported.

Most of the programming provided by those networks will also be blacked out online to former Charter and Time Warner Cable customers.

NBC Universal made a recent offer to Charter, but hasn't received a response, the report said.

NBC told the Variety "Charter Spectrum has been unyielding in its demand for terms superior to those agreed to by the rest of the industry, including larger distributors."

Among the major events NBC is set to air in the coming days is the NHL's Winter Classic, an outdoor hockey game between the St. Louis Blues and Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday. NBC also airs the Golden Globes on Jan. 8.

In emails to NJ Advance Media, Charter declined to comment on negotiations with NBC Universal and wouldn't disclose the approximate number of customers it serves in New Jersey.

Charter acquired Time-Warner and Bright House for about $65 billion earlier this year and relaunched its service under the brand Spectrum.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com.Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.