At first, Nuggets, Avalanche and Rapids fans counted by days. Then it was by weeks followed by months. Now, still unable to watch their hometown teams at their leisure on television, the count has entered years. Worse? Unless, like countries in conflict, there are secret backchannel talks going on, there is no foreseeable ending to this blackout.
In September 2019, what seemed like a very natural partnership between Altitude Sports, the Kroenke-owned regional sports network, and Comcast ended. Since then, fans of the three professional teams under the Kroenke umbrella have had to find their own way to watch the Avs, Nuggets and Rapids. This season has been particularly brutal as the Nuggets, now in first place in the NBA Western Conference, are considered a good bet to win the title; the Avs are the defending Stanley Cup and the Rapids continue to grow as fan favorites.
Four calendar years have passed since the impasse began. Neither side—billion dollar-plus entities—seems ready to give as attested by their public statements.
“Altitude’s position requires nearly every Comcast cus- tomer in the Denver area to pay a fee increase for Comcast to broadcast the Altitude channel on TV, regardless of whether they watch the channel,” Comcast’s Leslie Oliver told The Denver Post. “We have been and remain willing to distribute Altitude’s content in a way that avoids raising rates for virtually all of our customers.”
The Post, quoting Altitude CEO Matt Hutchings, also reported that the sports conglomerate had “asked Comcast to match the terms Comcast agreed to with AT&T Sportsnet Rocky Mountain to broadcast Rockies games, but Comcast did not respond to the offer.” Altitude continues to offer its telecasts via other cable carriers. Certain Nuggets and Avalanche broadcasts can be seen on ABC, ESPN and Turner Sports. Altitude also broadcasts on FuboTV with basic package costs beginning at $69.99 per month.
The legal impasse has forced a lot of Comcast sports fans wanting to see the Nuggets and Avalanche to find other options, including leaving home on game nights to find bars or restaurants that have the right carriers. “It just doesn’t seem fair,” said one former Denver legislator. “People don’t want to leave home and go out, especially when it’s so cold or snowing.” “I don’t see how billionaires can’t figure out how to find an agreement.”
Former Denver Mayor and former Sterling Junior College basketball star, Wellington Webb, also shared his thoughts on this broadcasting giants tug-of-war to Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser. Webb described the two sides, but particularly Comcast, as being tone-deaf to hometown and state sports fans. Altitude and Comcast, Webb said, are “unfairly depriving local fans of their teams and poorly serving the local communities that grant Comcast a virtual cable television monopoly.” Webb also suggested that “elected leaders stand up and use their power to dig deep into this dispute, demand answers and perhaps propose some needed pro-consumer reforms.”
The Colorado Legislature actually has gotten involved but with little to show for its efforts. A bill that would have given the attorney general authorization to call for non-binding mediation between the two sides died with little fanfare. Northglenn Representative Kyle Mullica, a self-identified sports fan, said similar legislation could be introduced again during this session. Mullica also lamented the idea that billionaires cannot find an acceptable middle ground and serve the sports fans that loyally support Kroenke-owned teams.
The idea that the Nuggets and Avalanche are not available to all cable customers is especially painful during what may one day be referred to as ‘a golden age’ in Colorado sports.
The Nuggets’ Nikola Jokiḉ is a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player and very much in the mix for claiming a third consecutive MVP honor. Only three players in league history, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain and Larry Bird have achieved this honor. Jokic, if he should repeat, would join this pantheon.
The current Stanley Cup champions are also in the running for a consecutive NHL crown. Last year’s version played to almost perfection in winning the team’s and Colorado’s third Stanley Cup, though key injuries have kept the team from playing to its full potential.
While both sides say they are amenable to a solution, fans now in their fourth year of Nuggets/Avalanche blackouts, see little in the way of movement from either Comcast or Altitude. Altitude did, however, ask fans to sign on an on-line petition urging Comcast to get a deal done. It also contracted with a trucking firm that operates vehicles with digital billboards, one flashing the message: “Why Did Comcast Dump Us?” The vehicle, which has found its way up and down I-25 for better visibility, also flashes the number of days since the battle of the billionaire organizations began.
Neither side is winning this impasse, said former Mayor Webb. He calls the whole matter “disrespecting Denver.” Actually, the Mayor may be understating the degree of disrespect since both teams have fans that go well beyond Denver’s city limits and stretch deep into every time zone.
