Comcast Offers Partial Credit On Bill During Altitude Sports Blackout

DENVER, Colo. (CBS4) – Altitude Sports and three major TV service providers are no closer to reaching a deal to put the channel back on the air, according to a spokesperson for Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, the company that owns Altitude. As the dispute continues on, customers of one of the providers will see some temporary relief on their bill.

The regional sports channel's standoff with Comcast, DirecTV, and DISH started in September when the separate parties couldn't come to an agreement in contract renewal talks. Because of the dispute, the first two Colorado Avalanche games of the 2019-2020 season were not televised locally.

Following CBS4's original report on the blackout in Denver, viewers reached out to ask about their cable bills. While Altitude is not on the air in Colorado and several other surrounding states, many customers are still paying the full price of their provider's regional sports package.

Of the three service providers, only Comcast is giving some financial relief to its customers. A spokesperson tells CBS4 the company is applying a partial credit to customers' bills for the Regional Sports Network Fee. The credit will automatically appear on billing statements.

"We know how much Nuggets and Avalanche fans want to watch their teams this season. We've provided Altitude with some options to ensure Nuggets and Avalanche fans can enjoy the games on Comcast, but unfortunately Altitude has rejected them.  We would like to reach an agreement with Altitude while avoiding driving up costs for our customers. In the meantime, we are applying a partial credit to our customers' Regional Sports Network Fee," a statement read.

A spokesperson for AT&T, which owns DirecTV, said she was not aware of any refunds related to the dispute. DISH would not share any details about changes to customers' billing.

"Altitude removed its channel from DISH, demanding that the majority of customers pay for the few who watch the channel. We understand we

do have customers who want the channel and DISH is working on a case-by-case basis with our loyal subscribers regarding their viewing needs," a spokesperson said via email.

If the dispute continues, Nuggets fans could also start missing televised games. The team's first regular-season game is Oct. 23.