DISH Network is a company that is known for many things, most recently however they’ve been getting press that the company is not as happy about. DISH is quickly becoming known as a tough negotiator with carriers, which is leading to consistent blackouts with various channels as contract negotiations continue on.
The longest lasting of these disputes is still HBO. The content-creating giant and DISH have been locked in a contract dispute for months, and it shows no sign of ending. DISH held strong throughout the end of Game of Thrones, and even went so far as to direct their customers looking for HBO to invest in HBO Now.
DISH Network and Altitude TV have been in a contract standoff since August 2019. Altitude TV provides several local channels, including games for the Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche and the Colorado Rapids. Naturally, customers have not been pleased to have to mess out on so many of their favorite team’s games.
The company has been in a standoff with all three major broadcasting providers in the Colorado area: DISH, Comcast and DirecTV. The standoff has been ongoing for months and, until recently, shown no signs of letting up anytime soon. However, DirecTV has finally reached a deal with Altitude, which means that DISH and Comcast may not be far behind.
“We’re thrilled to be back on the air with our partners at DIRECTV,” said Jim Martin, president and CEO of Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, Altitude’s owner, via Twitter. “This is tremendous news for the fans of the Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche, who have had to endure missing their teams at the start of their seasons.”
It is important to point out that we point out that this deal is only for Altitude to come back to DirecTV. This is a big deal for Colorado sports fans since Altitude is the only way to watch several teams, and for months its channels have been offline for everyone.
The most recent statement released by DISH does not invoke confidence. “We love sports fans, but the deal Altitude has proposed makes no sense for the vast majority of our customers. Altitude is asking us to pay for a majority of subscribers – in the high double-digit percentages – when only a single-digit percentage of our customers actually watches the channel. It’s an outdated model that no longer works for consumers. There are creative solutions to bring back Altitude. We urge Altitude to work with us to reach a logical, long-term agreement for them, for us, but most importantly, for our mutual viewers,” said DISH.
The financial details behind the deal reached by Altitude and DirecTV have not yet been made public, but it’s clear that this move is designed to put pressure on Comcast and DISH to reach deals of their own. For now, if you want to watch any Altitude TV you’re going to have to invest in DirecTV.
Sources:
Altitude to broadcast Nuggets, Avs games at Denver-area bars through Nov. 2
https://www.westword.com/news/colorado-transplants-and-their-original-states-2019-update-11362900
