DENVER -- Altitude Sports has reached a multi-year agreement with DirecTV for re-launch Friday, according to Jim Martin, the president and CEO of Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, ending a two-month dispute with the distributor that prevented Nuggets and Avalanche fans from being able to watch their teams. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
As of late Thursday night, the regional sports network still did not have a deal in place with the two other major television distributors — Comcast and Dish Network — it has been locked in a stalemate with since its contracts lapsed in late August. Altitude executives are hopeful that Thursday’s deal with DirecTV will allow for serious negotiations to begin with the two other distributors.
One of the proposals Altitude Sports pitched to DirecTV was the ability to broadcast in 4K technology, which would make the Kroenke-owned regional sports network one of the most innovative sports networks in the country. However, neither side had committed to that aspect as of Thursday night.
DirecTV was also interested in a proposed skycam feature for broadcasts, though that component of the deal wasn’t settled upon, either.
The broadcast will essentially be a re-launch of the provider’s former version of Altitude, with no major visual changes.