Latest from Next TV in Altitude

Altitude Goes Dark on Comcast, DirecTV

Mike Farrell — Tue, 03 Sep 2019 15:30:35 +0000

Regional sports network Altitude Sports and Entertainment went dark to Comcast and DirecTV customers Saturday, leaving customers in 10 states without programming as the National Hockey League season opener nears.

Altitude had warned that it would go dark to DirecTV and Comcast customers if a carriage deal was not reached by Aug. 31. The RSN already went dark to Dish Network customers on Aug. 29.

Pricing and Altitude’s apparent demand for minimum carriage levels appear to be at the heart of the disagreement. According to sources close to the talks, the parties are “far apart” in the negotiations, but that could change as game-day nears for many of the teams carried by the network.

“Altitude unfortunately forced AT&T to remove its channel from our customers’ lineups,” DirecTV said in a statement. “AT&T made a fair offer to keep the channel available, but Altitude rejected it. Consumers have made clear they want more choice over the channels they pay to receive in their homes. Our goal is to offer Rapids, Nuggets and Avalanche games to anyone who wants them most at a value that makes sense to our customers overall. We will not agree to bad deals that do a disservice to our customers, even if it means no longer carrying certain content.”

According to an article in the Denver Post, Altitude is claiming DirecTV and Comcast have proposed rates that are a 50% cut to the RSN’s current deal.

Altitude, owned by Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, is available in 10 states -- Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Northern New Mexico, Northeast Nevada and Southwest South Dakota. The RSN carries games and programming from the NHL Colorado Avalanche, the NBA Denver Nuggets, Major League Soccer’s Colorado Rapids, the National Lacrosse League Colorado Mammoth and college sports from the University of Denver. The NHL preseason is scheduled to begin on Sept. 15, with the Avalanche’s first game slated for Sept. 17 against the Vegas Golden Knights. The Avalanche regular season begins Oct. 3 at home versus the Calgary Flames.

If the talks drag into October, customers in the area also run the risk of missing pre-season games for the NBA Nuggets, which begin on Oct. 8. The Nuggets’ regular season starts Oct. 23 against the Portland Trailblazers.

“We want to reach an agreement with Altitude, but it must be at a reasonable price for our customers,” Comcast said in a statement. “Altitude has demanded significant annual price increases for the same content for years, which has driven up costs for all of our customers in Colorado and Utah, even though most of them do not watch the channel. Over the past year, more than 95% of Altitude subscribers watched less than the equivalent of a game per week. The price increase Altitude is again demanding is unacceptable given the network’s low viewership. We have submitted a proposal to Altitude that we believe reflects the value of its programming and are hopeful Altitude will accept it so we can continue to carry the network for those customers who want to watch it.”

Altitude Goes Dark to Dish Customers

Mike Farrell — Thu, 29 Aug 2019 13:28:09 +0000

Regional sports network Altitude Sports and Entertainment made good on its promise that Dish Network customers would be without its Colorado sports team coverage unless its carriage deal was renewed by midnight, going dark to the satellite TV service’s subscribers as the clock struck 12 on Aug. 29.

The blackout affected Dish customers in nine states -- Colorado, Utah, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, South Dakota and Wyoming.

Altitude Sports and Entertainment is owned by Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, the sports team and arena vehicle of billionaire Stan Kroenke. Altitude carries games from the NHL Colorado Avalanche, the NBA Denver Nuggets, Major League Soccer’s Colorado Rapids, the National Lacrosse League’s Colorado Mammoth and college sports from the University of Denver. On Wednesday, the channel warned it could go dark at midnight Wednesday if a deal with Dish isn’t reached. The channel also has renewal agreements with DirecTV and Comcast that expire on Saturday (Aug. 31).

The blackout comes as preseason games for the Avalanche (Sept. 17) and the Nuggets (Oct. 8) draw near.

In a press release Thursday, Dish blamed the blackout on Altitude’s demand that a new deal includes a guaranteed minimum of subscribers, as well as high affiliate fees.

“This comes down to Altitude demanding payment on a guaranteed minimum number of customers,” said Dish senior vice president of programming Andy LeCuyer in a press release. “We’re no longer going to support the broken regional sports TV business model that seeks to have the majority of pay-TV customers pay for the few who watch.”

Dish directed customers to its DishPromise.com website for more information.

According to Altitude, Dish, DirecTV and Comcast have carried the RSN for 15 years, but despite the network’s good-faith efforts to negotiate, the distributors “want to play by their own rules and are making unrealistic demands on Altitude. Their actions will affect hundreds of thousands of regional sports fans and negatively impact hundreds of local businesses that continue to support their home teams.”

This is the second regional sports network to go dark for Dish customers. In July, 15 Fox RSNs and the YES Network went dark after Dish could not reach a deal. Dish chairman Charlie Ergen warned that unless a compromise is made, the Fox RSNs may never be carried by the satellite TV service provider.

Dish also is in negotiations with Disney regarding five networks -- FX, FXX, FXM, National Geographic and National Geographic WILD -- that were scheduled to go dark on Aug. 28. Disney granted Dish an extension to avoid a blackout, and sources said talks were progressing.

Altitude TV Warns it May be Dropped by Comcast, Dish and DirecTV

Mike Farrell — Wed, 28 Aug 2019 22:48:55 +0000

Denver area regional sports network Altitude TV is warning viewers that it may be dropped by Comcast, Dish Network and DirecTV if the channel can’t reach a favorable carriage renewal soon.

Altitude is owned by Kroenke Sports & Entertainment and airs games from the NHL Colorado Avalanche, the NBA Denver Nuggets, Major League Soccer's Colorado Rapids, the National Lacrosse League’s Colorado Mammoth and college sports from the University of Denver. On its website, the network warned that its deal with Dish Network expires at midnight Wednesday, while its agreements with DirecTV and Comcast end on Saturday.

Dish, the network said, has carried Altitude TV since its inception on Sept. 4, 2004. The other two distributors have carried the channel for 15 consecutive years, Altitude said.

[embed]https://twitter.com/AltitudeTV/status/1166770527249338369[/embed]

“These actions by Dish, Comcast and DirecTV are directly related to contract negotiations with Altitude, and while Altitude has always negotiated with them in good faith and continues to negotiate in good faith, these Big Three media conglomerates want to play by their own rules and are making unrealistic demands on Altitude,” the network said on its website. “Their actions will affect hundreds of thousands of regional sports fans and negatively impact hundreds of local businesses that continue to support their home teams.”

The blackout threat comes as Dish Network continues to be embroiled in a carriage spat with Sinclair Broadcast Group’s Fox RSNs, which went dark to its customers in July.

In a statement, Dish said it hoped it could reach an agreement.

“Dish’s goal is to keep Altitude Sports available to our customers at a reasonable cost,” the satellite TV service said in a statement. “We are unsure why Altitude has decided to involve customers in the contract negotiation process when there is still time for the two parties to reach a mutually beneficial deal.”

At Comcast, the cable operator focused on value.

“We want to reach an agreement with Altitude, but it must be at a reasonable price for our customers," Comcast said in a statement. "Altitude has demanded significant annual price increases for the same content for years, which has driven up costs for all of our customers in Colorado and Utah, even though most of them do not watch the channel. Over the past year, more than 95% of Altitude subscribers watched less than the equivalent of a game per week. The price increase Altitude is again demanding is unacceptable given the network’s low viewership. We have submitted a proposal to Altitude that we believe reflects the value of its programming and are hopeful Altitude will accept it so we can continue to carry the network for those customers who want to watch it.”

DirecTV is deep in retransmission consent disputes with two separate parties — Nexstar Media Group, and a group of 17 smaller stations. In a statement, the satellite TV provider confirmed that its deal with Altitude expires on Saturday, and hinted that if it can't reach a deal that makes sense for its customers, it may do without the network.

"DirecTV has made a very fair offer to Altitude," DirecTV said in a statement. "We remain on the side of consumer choice and value, and our negotiations reflect that. Consumers have made clear they want more choice over the channels they pay to receive in their homes. Our goal is to offer Rapids, Nuggets and Avalanche games to anyone who wants them most at a value that makes sense to our customers overall. But we will not do bad deals on behalf of our customers, even if it means no longer carrying certain content."

Altitude Streams Into 2015 With New Chief

Mike Reynolds — Mon, 05 Jan 2015 13:00:00 +0000

As Altitude Sports & Entertainment Network moves into its second decade, new president Ben Boylan is taking stock as to what new heights the regional sports network needs to scale.

Boylan, who has been with the RSN home to the National Basketball Association’s Denver Nuggets and National Hockey League’s Colorado Avalanche since its inception in September 2004, last month succeeded Kim Carver at the helm. Carver had announced in November that she would be departing KSE Media Ventures, where she served as president and CEO of Altitude and president of World Fishing Network.

In his new post, Boylan, who was senior vice president of media sales, focusing on sponsorship sales for the Nuggets and Avalanche, now has oversight for television operations. That includes production, programming, creative services, marketing and distribution efforts at the Denver-based RSN, which has 3.1 million homes in 10 states. He also is responsible for Nuggets and Avalanche radio operations, with each team counting 15 affiliates.

“Kim left Altitude in good hands,” said Boylan, who has been meeting with department heads to get “a feel for where we’re at. I want to make sure about the subtle things that need to be done.”

GETTING IN THE STREAM

Changes are expected to occur on the programming and digital fronts, notably with online streaming opportunities with Nuggets games.

“Streaming is the issue of the day,” Boylan said, referring to the tip off of in-market simulcasting on pro basketball games by Fox Sports and Comcast SportsNet regionals. “Fans want to be able to watch the games on their tablets and phones.”

Altitude is in “test mode,” Boylan said. “We want to make sure we have the right solutions for our viewers and distributors.” He said he expects an official TV-everywhere launch for the club in 2015.

Altitude launched through a series of 10-year affiliate pacts, and has inked renewals with key cable distributors Comcast Cable and Charter Communications. Officials declined to discuss the status with DirecTV and Dish Network, but noted the network has remained on the air with the two satellite-TV providers.

“It helps take the pressure off,” Boylan said of the new cable contracts, without specifying deal terms. “They help make us more successful.”

Boylan began his career at KOA Radio in 1986 in promotions, followed by a stint as a talk show producer, before moving on to advertising sales. He transitioned to Prime Sports (later part of Fox Sports Networks) as an account executive in 1991. He was promoted to local sales manager and national sales manager during his 13 years with Fox. Boylan joined Altitude as local sales manager in 2004 and was promoted to general sales manager in 2005.

Back in the day, he said, sponsors were primarily concerned with their 30- second ads running and “hoped to get a billboard.”

Now, they want a closer association with the clubs — something Altitude is able to deliver because it’s “one of a handful of regionals that can sell the building, teams, and television and radio together.”

That structure, in place since the 2012-13 seasons, has led to more “cross-pollination” and better integration for clients, Boylan said. He pointed to Subaru, the halftime sponsor for Nuggets telecasts, benefiting from on-air signage and welcome-back reads from the announcers, and Toyota vignettes that include such messaging as, “Let’s drive back to the start of the second period at the Pepsi Center in the Rav4.”

With conferences inking new rights pacts or forming their own networks, Boylan said regional sports networks, including Altitude, have had “to fill in the blanks” in the absence of college football and related fare.

Altitude has added high-school football and lined up boys and girls basketball games from some of the larger institutions. “In many ways, we’re going back to the roots of building off pro teams and local programming.”

LIFT FROM LACROSSE

Boylan said Altitude is also seeing some bounce with the Colorado Mammoth, the National Lacrosse League franchise that, like the Nuggets, Avalanche, Major League Soccer’s Colorado Rapids and the Pepsi Center, is owned by Kroenke Sports & Entertainment.

“It’s entertaining product [on television] and in the building,” he said, explaining that lacrosse’s popularity continues to gain in Colorado, inspired in part by the University of Denver, some of whose games also appear on the network. Denver is the only school west of the Mississippi to have reached the semifinals of the NCAA men’s lacrosse tournament.

As to the network’s primary players, Boylan said ratings have held up, despite challenging seasons so far for the Avalanche — “up a hair” — and the Nuggets “remaining flat.”

“That’s a testament to our fans,” Boylan said. “Denver sports fans are die-hard. They love and are continuing to support their teams.”