The Dallas Stars this week cut ties with troubled broadcaster Bally Sports, and announced a new broadcasting deal with streaming service VICTORY+ -- a landmark arrangement that could be a harbinger of what's to come for NHL teams in an ever-changing pro sports broadcast landscape.
The Dallas Stars this week cut ties with troubled broadcaster Bally Sports, and announced a new broadcasting deal with streaming service VICTORY+ -- a landmark arrangement that could be a harbinger of what's to come for NHL teams in an ever-changing pro sports broadcast landscape.
The Dallas Stars have changed broadcast partners, and their new arrangement is going to be a step up for fans – and a free one, at that.
After terminating their broadcast relationship with Diamond Sports Group, owners of the financially-troubled Bally Sports regional networks, the Stars this week announced they’ve entered into a seven-year contract with direct-to-consumer streaming service VICTORY+ that will broadcast all Stars games not being aired nationally.
VICTORY+ – a subsidiary of A Parent Media Co. Inc. (APMC) – will be a free, advertisement-supported, direct-to-consumer service, and fans will be able to download Victory+ on smartphones, smart TVs, and tablets beginning this September. Fans residing outside the Stars’ regional territory will be able to tune into games on VICTORY+ as well.
"After years of researching the right solution and careful planning with our partners at APMC, we’re proud to announce this pioneering streaming platform that will literally change the game for sports distribution on VICTORY+," Stars President and C.E.O. Brad Alberts said in a news release announcing the new arrangement.
"Our first priority has always been our fan base, and on VICTORY+ fans will be able to stream 100 percent of Stars content for free through this innovative and unique streaming platform for sports programming. Despite the mutual agreement between the Dallas Stars and Diamond Sports Group to end our current relationship pending court approval, we would like to acknowledge that we wouldn’t be here today without the partnership and commitment of Bally Sports and their staff over the past 25 years and thank them for their partnership."
The Stars join the Florida Panthers, Utah Hockey Club (formerly the Arizona Coyotes) and Vegas Golden Knights as NHL teams that have severed ties with Diamond Sports Group. Under terms of the new deal, the Stars become the first major American sports franchise to move its broadcasts from a regional sports service to a streaming company.
“With more than a decade of safe streaming and monetization experience, we are excited to expand beyond Kidoodle.TV® and Dude Perfect into sports,” APMC President and CEO Neil Gruninger said in the press release.
“This presents a remarkable opportunity to collaborate with the Dallas Stars, an organization that is prioritizing their fans. Leveraging our digital expertise, we aim to create a cutting-edge platform that unites fans, teams, athletes, content providers, advertisers and brands in a unique streaming service that celebrates them all collectively.”
As VICTORY+ begins working with the Stars, the company has hired former FOX Sports Executive Producer and Stars vice-president of broadcasting Jason Walsh to head up its coverage of the team. Updates and further announcements regarding VICTORY+ can be found by visiting www.victoryplus.com.
Be sure to join the growing Dallas Stars community on THN.com and bookmark THN's Dallas Stars site for all the latest Stars news, exclusive interviews, and much more.