Recently Scripps and the NHL Vegas Golden Knights have announced a deal to bring their games to free broadcast TV in-market and offer streaming options for fans. Today The Vegas Golden Knights announced a deal with ViewLift to manage their streaming service that will let residents who live in market watch their games not just free online but also for streaming.
Fans will now find their Gold Knights games on the local Scripps-owned ION network on KMCC-TV along with this streaming package. This is the first time in a long time fans will be able to watch their in-market games free with an antenna. Pricing for the streaming service has not been announced at this time.
“This deal is a significant win for our fans because they will be able to see our games on television and for free, if they wish,” team president and CEO Kerry Bubolz said. “That was our goal in finding a new TV partner. We wanted to serve our fanbase in the best way possible.”
The Golden Knights are the first professional sports team to reach a deal with Scripps Sports, which launched in December 2022.
“We have been impressed by the Golden Knights’ commitment to winning and their desire to connect and engage with fans in Vegas and outer markets, as well,” said Brian Lawlor, president of Scripps Sports. “This is going to be a wonderful partnership, and it’s the fans who will benefit most. We launched Scripps Sports with the belief that we could help teams reach more fans through our stations, which do not depend on subscriptions and added fees for the consumer.”
KMCC, channel 34, will be rebranded as an independent station before the 2023-24 NHL season begins. Scripps also owns the Las Vegas ABC affiliate, KTNV, which will provide a strong marketing platform for KMCC and the Golden Knights telecasts.
This news comes as Warner Bros. Discovery recently announced plans to shut down all of their RSNs by the end of this year.
This news comes as recently the first major NBA team the Pheonix Suns has cut ties with Bally Sports and is now going to make their games free over the air thanks to a partnership with Gray Television. With this deal starting in the fall of 2023, fans of the Phoenix Suns and the WNBA Phoenix Mercury will be able to watch the games for free over the air on KTVK and KPHE. With the expansion of KPHE, the Suns will now be free to watch over the air in all three of Arizona’s TV markets.
Fans will also be able to stream the games in-market through the Suns or Mercury apps on smartphones and smart TVs. Mercury games will even stream for free in-market.