Altitude Sports executive on growing reach of Avalanche, Nuggets games: ‘This is not the end’

Kevin Demoff boarded a late-night flight to Denver in time for the big reveal to Nuggets and Avalanche fans.

Demoff — president of media and team operations for Kroenke Sports and Entertainment (KSE) — spent his first six months on the job focused on widening the distribution of Altitude Sports, a Kroenke-owned regional sports network (RSN).

A new era of game accessibility starts next month with the rollout of Altitude+ and 40 combined Nuggets and Avalanche games broadcast on free over-the-air TV this season. Demoff attended Nuggets media day Thursday at Ball Arena following the announcement.

“There was a lot of excitement among staff. I certainly noticed it amongst players and coaches,” Demoff told The Denver Gazette. “But this is the beginning. This is not the end.”

It started with a simple question, in March, when Demoff was hired to replace Matt Hutchings as the KSE executive overseeing Altitude Sports. No carriage deal exists with Comcast amid a five-year cable TV blackout.

“What are all the possible permutations to get games on the air?” Demoff said. “Then we just tried to exhaust each of those opportunities down until the end, knowing you had a drop-dead deadline (being) the start of the Avs and Nuggets seasons in October.

“Internally, we always said: There’s no if. We are getting this done.”

KSE’s push to stream games on iOS/Android devices and broadcast select games free OTA did not reflect a split with Comcast. Demoff said talks will continue with the cable giant. Last month, spokeswoman Leslie Oliver told The Denver Gazette that Comcast is interested in a contract with Altitude Sports that reflects a “changing video market.”

“This is the natural evolution of the path without Comcast. But, on a parallel path, we’ve been having ongoing dialogue with Comcast,” Demoff said. “I would say that it has been productive. We’re not at a deal yet or within striking distance. But I have greater optimism about a Comcast deal today than I did six months ago.”

There is not a firm date in October when Altitude+ will be available for download on iOS and Android devices. Demoff said the target is Oct. 12 for the Avalanche home opener against the Blue Jackets. KSE is still sorting through final details to ensure a smooth debut.

The $19.95/monthly charge for Altitude+ is expected to not require a commitment, and it’s possible the service will be offered on a per-season plan. The development of a smart TV app is ongoing. DirecTV and FuboTV users will not lose access to Altitude Sports, and those subscribers will get Altitude+ without an extra fee.

KSE made significant progress growing the reach of Altitude Sports. But streaming and OTA alone won’t solve a revenue shortfall created by the RSN industry’s almost total collapse. Major professional sports leagues (not including the NFL) are more willing than ever to take broadcast risks.

“The impetus of this deal was for fan engagement and fan reach before prioritizing economics," Demoff said. 'Where we sit today after five years, we had to get on widespread television and streaming for our fans. Within that mandate, it is: How do you make it economically viable as possible? Doing these deals does not change the fact that the RSN landscape is significantly challenged financially.

“Not just for us, but for everybody.”