TBN entered into an agreement with Ion Media Networks on November 14, 2017, which gave Ion the option to acquire the licenses of WCLJ-TV and three other TBN stations that had sold their spectrum in the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)'s spectrum auction. Ion exercised the option on May 24, 2018.
The sale was completed on September 25, 2018, creating a duopoly with existing Ion Television station WIPX-TV. Ion immediately moved Ion Life (later Ion Plus) to the station in order to provide the network with full-market coverage equivalent to that of WIPX-DT1.