Altitude TV reached a deal to have Nuggets and Avalanche games legally streamed by an extensive list of local bars through the end of the week. The regional sports network remains in a dispute with the “Big Three” television providers in the Denver metro area, AT&T, DISH Network and Comcast.
When the dispute between Altitude and Denver cable providers began in August, there was hope a resolution would occur before the NHL and NBA seasons start. Weeks into both seasons, locals are still unable to watch the Nuggets and Avalanche.
In the interim, Altitude has looked for ways to bring Denver’s local NBA and NHL teams to fans, most recently reaching a deal for a group of bars to stream their games. 44 Denver-area bars have signed on to legally stream the Nuggets and Avalanche through November 2nd. Plans beyond this week have not been announced as Altitude still works to reach a deal with cable providers. Currently though, a deal does not appear imminent.
“It remains clear that the Big Three remain unconcerned about Nuggets and Avalanche fans ability to enjoy their hometown teams. We will continue to evaluate the viability of providing access to legal streaming of these games,” said Matt Hutchings, the COO of Kroenke Sports and Entertainment which owns Altitude. “We need to balance the needs of our fans and the concerns of these small business owners, with where we stand with Comcast, DIRECTV and DISH Network as they continue to stonewall the distribution of Altitude Sports.”
The three major cable providers, AT&T, Dish and Comcast have also released statements defending their handling of Altitude’s blackout.
AT&T:
“Unfortunately, Altitude forced AT&T to remove its channel from our customers’ lineups. AT&T made a fair offer to keep the channel available, but Altitude rejected it. Consumers have made clear they want more choice over the channels they pay to receive in their homes. Our goal is to offer Rapids, Nuggets and Avalanche games to anyone who wants them most at a value that makes sense to our customers overall. We will not agree to bad deals that do a disservice to our customers, even if it means no longer carrying certain content.”
DISH Network:
“We love sports fans, but the deal Altitude has proposed makes no sense for the vast majority of our customers. Altitude is asking us to pay for a majority of subscribers – in the high double-digit percentages – when only a single-digit percentage of our customers actually watches the channel. It’s an outdated model that no longer works for consumers. There are creative solutions to bring back Altitude. We urge Altitude to work with us to reach a logical, long-term agreement for them, for us, but most importantly, for our mutual viewers.”
Comcast:
“We’ve offered Altitude different options which would ensure Nuggets and Avalanche fans can enjoy the games on Comcast. Thus far, Altitude has rejected those offers.
“Every month, Comcast pays programmers like networks, local TV station owners and others – like Altitude — for the ability to bring their programming to our subscribers. When contracts near an end, Comcast evaluates the terms to ensure we’re delivering our customers the best entertainment at the best value. We would like to reach a fair and reasonable fee agreement with Altitude while avoiding driving up costs for our customers.”
Brandon Contes is a freelance writer for BSM. He can be found on Twitter @BrandonContes. To reach him by email click here.
