March 19 (Reuters) - The Federal Communications Commission said on Thursday it has approved the sale of some local broadcast TV stations from Tegna ( TGNA ) to Nexstar.

"By approving this transaction, which allows Nexstar to own less than 15% of television stations, the FCC acts mindful of the media marketplace that exits today - not the one from decades past," FCC chair Brendan Carr said in a statement.

The approval comes a day after a group of eight states filed a suit in the U.S. District Court in Sacramento, California, to block the merger that would make the combined entity the largest U.S. broadcast station group.

Streaming and satellite TV provider DirecTV also filed a separate suit, seeking to prevent the deal, late on Wednesday.

"This transaction is essential to sustaining strong local journalism in the communities we serve," Nexstar's CEO Perry Sook said in a statement.