Will fans in Colorado have to endure another year of blackouts/carriage disputes?
The next NHL and NBA seasons are just two months away, and KSE/AltitudeTV and Comcast Xfinity still have yet to come to an agreement that would allow all fans and cable providers access to live game broadcasts. Should the standoff persist, this will mark the sixth season for Avalanche and Nugget fans, who constantly have to find alternative ways to watch and cheer on their beloved teams.
What’s happened over the past five years for the two clubs?
Just a combined four MVP seasons, two World Championships, consistent playoff appearances, and elite-level/legendary performances from superstars like Nikolaj Jokic, Jamal Murray, Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, and Cale Makar.
Whenever fans broach this subject, they are told to explore other less affordable options, get along with the times, or stop complaining. Kyle Fredrickson wrote a piece about this subject, and the KSE/Altitudes statement in said article is the last we’ve heard regarding finding a resolution.
“Altitude Sports is working tirelessly to resolve this carriage dispute with Comcast. We also encourage fans to look at other means to watch their hometown teams on Altitude Sports, including DirecTV, DirecTV Stream, Charter (Spectrum TV), and Fubo TV. At the same time, we at Altitude Sports continue to explore additional viewing options,” — The Denver Gazette.
Meanwhile, other clubs offer their product to local markets through FREEdedicated streaming services.
Dang and I am told something like this is impossible here in Colorado.
Avs fans deserve better than what cable companies and altitude have done.
It’s an actual shame. #GoAvsGo https://t.co/HeInQi1tGY
— Adrian Hernandez (@AdoHernandez27) July 8, 2024
It’s time to be honest with this situation. It’s unfair not only to the fans of local KSE franchises but also to the players. We must consider how this dispute could affect exposure and player brands. Just look at what Nuggets power forward Aaron Gordon had to say via social media back in February regarding Jamal Murray being snubbed from the NBA All-Star game.
Bout dis…first we could start by playing our own games on TV in our local market 😒
If y’all think JM27 not All-Star caliber you’re tweekin https://t.co/CWvv92GHFd
— Aaron Gordon (@Double0AG) February 18, 2024
All the fans are asking for is a way to watch KSE teams on an affordable and all-access basis. The solution seems simple, but I suppose that’s easy to say from my perspective. I guess fans will have to keep up with the moniker and Find a Way to watch Avs games again this season.
There may be hope on the horizon as Altitude has a new TV executive, Kevin Demoff, who claimed the carriage crisis would be his first order of business. Here’s more on that from the Denver Post.
Let us know in the comments how you’d like this issue resolved!
