Thursday’s Announcement that Altitude TV has finally found a way to make Avalanche (and Denver Nuggets) games more accessible is great news. It’s certainly been a long time coming.
The press release announced two options to help fill the half-decade blackout void. First, 20 Avalanche games will be offered free over-the-air on Denver’s 9NEWS (KUSA-TV) and My20 (KTVD-TV). I don’t sense there are any complaints here.
Joins us, @9NEWS and KTVD20 for 20 @Avalanche games this season!#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/dZ2uA6iXuB
— AltitudeTV (@AltitudeTV) September 26, 2024
But the second Altitide+ streaming option, which gives you full coverage of every game broadcasted on Altitude TV might be the one met with mixed feelings.
For starters, streaming is the way to go and it was only a matter of time for Altitude to catch on. It’ll be nice for local market fans to have the ability to stream games wherever they’d like without needing to pay for a full cable package. I’m a big believer that they’ve knocked this out of the park.
But at $19.95/month, Altitude+ is a touch pricier than a handful of other regional sports streaming options around the league.
With this option, you’ll have access to Avs, Nuggets, and regional collegiate coverage. It doesn’t sound like they’ll have an option to pay less for only one team. And that’s certainly something many Avs fans might be more interested in.
Altitude+ will first be available for download on iOS and Android devices, with connected smart TV apps to follow soon after. It’s unclear at this time when the TV app update will come, but many will be waiting for it.
Here’s how Altitude+ and the 20-games-free services compare to other NHL teams in the United States.
By my count, seven of the 25 markets offer games free for their local market. And only five teams have an option priced higher than Altitude+.
Of the remaining 12 (Philadelphia doesn’t offer an unbundled option yet), four are cheaper than Altitude+ and the other eight are priced the same. This puts Altitude+ comfortably in the middle of the pack.
Anaheim Ducks: Available FREE on Victory+
Boston Bruins: $30/month or $330/year on NESN 360
Buffalo Sabres: $30/month or $280/year on Gotham Sports
Carolina Hurricanes: $20/month or $190/year on Bally Sports+
Chicago Blackhawks: Available FREE over-the-air
Columbus Blue Jackets: $20/month or $190/year on Bally Sports+
Dallas Stars: Available FREE on Victory+
Detroit Red Wings: $20/month or $190/year on Bally Sports+
Florida Panthers: $70/year on Panthers+ or FREE over-the-air locally
Los Angeles Kings: $20/month or $190/year on Bally Sports+
Nashville Predators: $20/month or $190/year on Bally Sports+
New Jersey Devils: $30/month or $280/year on Gotham Sports
New York Islanders: $30/month or $280/year on Gotham Sports
New York Rangers: $30/month or $280/year on Gotham Sports
Philadelphia Flyers: (No unbundled option available)
Pittsburgh Penguins: $18/mo on SNP 360
Seattle Kraken: Available on Amazon Prime for no extra charge or FREE over-the-air locally
St. Louis Blues: $20/month or $190/year on Bally Sports+
Tampa Bay Lightning: $20/month or $190/year on Bally Sports+
Utah Hockey Club: $15/month or $70/year on UtahHC+ or FREE over-the-air locally
Vegas Golden Knights: $70/year on KnightTime+ or FREE over-the-air locally
Washington Capitals: $20/month or $200/year on Monumental