Altitude and Comcast Strike Deal to End 6-Year Blackout of Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche Games
After an agonizing six-year blackout, Altitude and Comcast have finally come to terms, bringing a wave of relief to Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche fans who can now catch their favorite teams in action on TV. The blackout, which began on August 31, 2019, left Comcast subscribers without access to these thrilling games.
The announcement of this long-awaited deal was made by Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, the proud owner of Altitude, on a Tuesday morning. The agreement covers all Xfinity TV customers in Colorado and New Mexico, as well as parts of Arizona and Kansas. As per the terms, Xfinity customers will now have the privilege of enjoying live game broadcasts of the KSE-owned Nuggets and Avalanche.
The agreement kicks off with the broadcast of the Avalanche game against the Vancouver Canucks at 8 p.m. on Tuesday night. This exciting development ensures that all subsequent games, including the Wednesday matchup between the New Orleans Pelicans and the Denver Nuggets at 7 p.m. at Ball Arena, will be available for viewing.
Expressing his delight, KSE Vice Chairman Josh Kroenke stated, "We are thrilled to once again make Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche games available on Comcast and Xfinity platforms in Colorado and the surrounding region. This is the best possible outcome for Nuggets Nation and Avs Faithful, who now have a straightforward way to see every game on one service."
J.D. Keller, Senior Vice President of Comcast's Mountain West Region, echoed this sentiment, saying, "Xfinity delivers the sports and entertainment customers love. We're excited to give fans more ways to watch the recent world-champion Avalanche and Nuggets through this new agreement with Altitude."
The feud between Altitude and Comcast began when a previous deal between the two entities expired in 2019. Consequently, all Colorado Avalanche and Denver Nuggets games were blacked out for Comcast customers, who represented approximately 92% of cable subscribers in the market, as per court documents filed by Altitude.
Former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb intervened in the conflict between Altitude Sports and Comcast two years ago. Webb, who held office from 1991 to 2003, urged the state attorney general to investigate and resolve the dispute, emphasizing the importance of ensuring fans could access these beloved sports broadcasts.
In 2019, Altitude took legal action against Comcast, alleging antitrust violations. The Denver sports network claimed that Comcast aimed to eliminate competition from Altitude and strengthen its dominance over multichannel television distribution in the Denver DMA and nationwide. Comcast refuted these claims, dismissing the lawsuit as "meritless" and expressing a willingness to distribute Altitude's content without raising rates for the majority of customers.
Although a settlement was reached for the federal antitrust lawsuit in March 2023, the blackout persisted until the recent agreement between Altitude and Comcast was reached, much to the delight of fans.
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston hailed the resolution, emphasizing the positive impact on fans, players, and the city. He remarked, "The real winners today are the fans. This agreement gives fans more options on how to easily access games and ensures they won't miss a second of the action. I'm thankful that Altitude and Comcast came to the table and worked together to close this deal."
