At least some Nuggets and Avalanche fans no longer have to schlep to the Pepsi Center or illegally stream games to see their teams play.
Local sports network Altitude and DirectTV reached a deal Thursday that puts the NBA and NHL games back on the satellite TV provider after a two-month standoff related to contract disagreements.
"We're thrilled to be back on the air with our partners at DirecTV," Jim Martin, President and CEO of Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, which owns the network, said in a statement. "This is tremendous news for the fans of the Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche, who have had to endure missing their teams at the start of their seasons."
Comcast and Dish Network, the other two major providers, are still negotiating with Altitude -- no agreement has been reached to put the Nugs and Avs back on their airwaves. A world where billionaires fight over money is a cutthroat one, and so Kroenke's company, which also owns the NHL and NBA teams, encouraged "all fans and local business owners who do not currently have DirecTV to make the switch."
Denver bars have lost business because of the contract dispute and local fans have felt slighted. But hey, at least the teams are doing well, even if fewer people than usual have seen the games.
