Enough Is Enough: Get The Avs And Nuggets Back On Local TV

Written By Ian St. Clair on 10/13/2021 - Last Updated on November 29, 2021
Comcast DISH Altitude TV broadcast dispute

Editor’s Note: The following article represents the views of the author.

The Colorado Avalanche are back.

The Denver Nuggets are a week away from the start of their season.

Yet the questions remain as to whether fans can even watch their games.

Almost two months into their respective seasons and most fans have to wait for the occasional nationally televised game, that isn’t also blacked out, to even watch the Avs or Nuggets.

When that happens, fans know to savor it because it’s one of the few times they will actually get to see either team on their TV this season.

Claim Your $1,250 Bonus at DraftKings Sportsbook
Claim Your $1,250 Bonus at DraftKings Sportsbook
Up to $1,250 Bonus
New User Bonus. T&Cs Apply.
DraftKings Sportsbook Review
  • Bet & Get up to $200 in Bonus Bets Instantly!
  • PLUS up to $1,000 Deposit Bonus
  • PLUS $50 Bonus Bet on Deposit
  • PLUS Daily King of the Court NBA Profit Boost
  • Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER

Fans are on three years of no Avs, Nuggets games on TV

The reason?

The ongoing absurd and ridiculous dispute between Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE) and Comcast and DISH. We are on three years of this fiasco.

The fact this is still going on is mind-numbing.

It proves, yet again, that no one cares about the fans.

Not billionaire owner E. Stanley Kroenke or Altitude TV.

Certainly not Comcast, who doesn’t care about its customers at all.

And not DISH.

Actions speak louder than words, and the words continue to flow from each side without merit. They’re empty and hollow.

At least Comcast is using the lawsuit from KSE to refrain from comment. The other two sides should follow that example. As Abraham Lincoln so eloquently said, “better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.”

Betting on the Avs, Nuggets is way more difficult

The fans are tired of this. They just want to watch their teams.

This mess has certainly made it more difficult for those who want to bet on the Avalanche or bet on the Nuggets from the comfort of their couch.

And live betting in Colorado via the radio, while interesting in theory, sounds like a total disaster.

When it’s pointed to Avs and Nuggets fans outside of Colorado, their reaction is, “Really? That’s still a thing?”

Yes, yes, it’s still very much the harsh reality of being a fan in the home state of these two teams that have championship aspirations.

I’ve joked that my Denver Broncos podcast cohost, who lives in Illinois, has watched more Avalanche games than I have the last three years.

The fans who have Comcast or DISH don’t care how this ends, just end it.

For those who say, “Just make the switch to DirecTV.” So it’s the customers’ and fans’ responsibility to ensure they can watch the two teams in this state worth watching? That’s sound a business model. The last three years have surely paid off for all the parties involved.

Just make the dispute end

At some point, you have to bite the bullet. All sides have sunk so far into the lightning sand that Wesley from “A Princess Bride” is going to have to grab a vine and dive in to get them out. Yes, we know, each side is trying to screw over the other but only doing so to the fans.

KSE says it’s too expensive to produce programming and it needs the financial support of the current model to survive.

Comcast and DISH argue every customer shouldn’t have to pay a fee to KSE, even if they don’t watch Altitude TV.

The new line is now, “The regional sports networks aren’t working.” Ya, think? Colorado sports fans have lived this for three years with no solution in sight.

And you know what? No one cares anymore.

Play your little violin. Cry a little more. Have some cheese with your whine and find a solution.

Show you actually care about the customers and the fans.

It’s beyond time you give them something other than the finger.

Photo by AP / David Zalubowski
Ian St. Clair Avatar
Written by
Ian St. Clair

Ian is an award-winning sports journalist and a University of Northern Colorado graduate. He’s a Colorado native and has over a decade of experience covering college and professional athletics. He broke into the gambling industry right as Colorado launched legal sports betting in 2020. Ian now manages the sites for some of the biggest gambling markets in North America and is an analyst for PlayColorado.

View all posts by Ian St. Clair