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Matt Hutchings, the Kroenke Sports and Entertainment executive who oversaw Altitude TV, has resigned as chief operating officer and executive vice president of the company that owns the Nuggets and Avalanche.
Mr. Hutchings has held the position since 2013, serving as President and CEO of KSE Media Ventures. His resignation comes amid an ongoing conflict between Altitude and Comcast, Colorado’s largest cable provider. Comcast hasn’t aired Altitude TV since 2019, leaving local customers unable to watch the majority of Nuggets and Avalanche games.
In a news release announcing his resignation, Hutchings said, “I am grateful for the professional opportunities and thrilling experiences I have had while working at KSE.” “We have achieved tremendous growth as a company and unprecedented success within our team. I am proud that KSE continues to lead the way in sports, broadcasting and entertainment in Colorado and beyond. I will continue to watch over and support them.”
Mr. Hutchings also ran Altitude from 2004 to 2012, after which he left Kroenke and was named president of Comcast Sportsnet Houston. The following year, he returned to Kroenke and Altitude.
Altitude first sued Comcast, accusing the cable company of violating antitrust laws shortly after its carriage contract ended in September 2019. The parties reached a settlement in March 2023, but the agreement did not return regional sports networks to Comcast’s platform. Altitude is available in Colorado on DirecTV, Fubo TV, and Charter.
The deal impasse coincides with a growing conflict over regional sports networks and a revolution in live sports streaming. RSN (AT&T Sports Net), which broadcast Colorado Rockies games, ceased operations last year, and Major League Baseball has taken over the team’s broadcasts this season. Rockies games will be available to stream on Rockies.tv, but the franchise has not yet revealed cable TV options.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said that while the league does not control local rights for the Nuggets during the 2023 NBA Finals, one of the central themes when working on the NBA’s next media rights deal will be “domestic” He suggested that the line between gaming and local gaming is becoming increasingly blurred. From a fan’s perspective. In recent years, many NBA and NHL teams have transitioned to streaming or terrestrial broadcasting.
“We now have an opportunity to redesign the way fans receive games,” Silver said last June. “We’re saying it’s our (league) responsibility, but obviously the last thing we want to do is disenfranchise fans. Nothing should change, but especially at the Finals level. Especially when you have a team and there’s a strong interest in watching these games. I’m very sympathetic to the fans and I’ve had a lot of emails and comments on social media while I’ve been here. I received it, but there were a lot of people who said, “There’s no point in not being able to watch the game.” . ” I think we have to solve this problem ourselves. ”
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