Adrian Dater
EDMONTON, ALBERTA – Some tweets surfaced today whereby it was speculated that there wouldn’t be any first-round Avalanche games (including the round-robin games) on Altitude TV and that they would only be seen on NBC or NBCSN. That’s wrong.
Here’s the deal: All Avalanche round-robin, first-round (and the July 29 exhibition game against Minnesota) will be broadcast on Altitude. They have exclusive rights on Avs games through the first round, then it goes to the NBC family of channels.
The only way Altitude won’t broadcast a first-round game is if the main NBC Network – on Channel 9 – opts to broadcast an Avs game. In that case, Altitude would not broadcast it. We don’t know yet if Ch. 9/NBC will choose an Avs game yet, because we don’t even know the schedule for the first round yet, nor the Avs’ opponent.
Here’s also the deal. As I wrote recently, the Avs games on Altitude will not be shown on Comcast or the DISH Network. There still is no agreement between the parties on a new carriage deal, and there hasn’t been one since last summer.
The Avalanche’s round-robin AND all first-round games are likely to be shown on one of the NBC family of channels. HOWEVER: they will be blacked out in the Denver metro area. Altitude owns exclusive territorial rights to Avalanche round-robin and first-round games.
So, the only way you’re going to see an Avs game on one of the NBC family of channels, Avs fan, is if you live outside of the Denver metro area. But the blackout territory is pretty extensive. I believe it even extends into some other nearby states, though I’m not positive on that.
Altitude will be broadcasting the games, but none of their personnel will be here in Edmonton. They will do the broadcast from their Denver studios, watching a monitor. Marc Moser and Peter McNab will be doing the calls.
After the first round, every game should be available to watch for Denver fans locally. That is, if the Avs get past that first round!