Vegas Golden Knights Announce Partnership for In-Market Streaming Service; Price, Other Details Coming Soon
The timing the Vegas Golden Knights showed in winning their first Stanley Cup title was simply incredible. The same year that the team took home the coveted trophy, it announced that its games would be available to fans all over the state of Nevada via local broadcast channels, as it was leaving its former regional sports network (RSN) home behind.
Fans in Nevada can watch Golden Knights games on the Scripps-owned KMCC this upcoming season, but they’ll also have a new streaming option as well. The team has announced that it is partnering with ViewLift, a digital content distribution platform that powers the streaming services of other NHL teams, such as the Washington Capitals.
“Our alliance with ViewLift and Scripps Sports enables our fans throughout the region to enjoy the action on whatever device they choose and from wherever they are,” Vegas Golden Knights president and CEO Kerry Bubolz said. “We will give our fans every possible option to interact with the team and watch hockey live and on demand. It’s essential that our TV and digital services reflect our Stanley Cup winning on-ice performance, and I know that with Scripps Sports and ViewLift we will achieve this.”
The service will launch in time for the team’s Sept. 24 regular-season opener and will be available to all fans who live within the home market of the Golden Knights. The platform will offer live games, plus companion content such as highlights and analysis, and will be available on Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Roku VIZIO, Xbox, as well as Android and iOS devices to start. Other details, such as price and specific features of the service will be revealed in the coming weeks.
“We are honored to be the reigning Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights’ digital partner, and to work with the team and Scripps Sports to bring the action to all local VGK fans,” ViewLift CEO Rick Allen said. “Our expertise delivering live sports across the OTT device world – including for the NHL and its teams – will ensure the best streaming experience for those fans, watching at home or on the go.”
ViewLift may find itself called upon to help other NHL teams set up in-market streaming platforms before the season is over. Currently, the local broadcast rights to 12 NHL teams are held by Bally Sports, which streams those teams on Bally Sports+. But Bally Sports’ parent company Diamond Sports Group (DSG) is still in bankruptcy court proceedings, and has recently asked for a mediator to help it potentially come to new agreements with those teams.
But if Diamond and the NHL can’t reach satisfactory deals, it may result in DSG surrendering some hockey contracts the way it had to do with two MLB teams this season. ViewLift is a partner the league has worked with before, and may be called upon to create new in-market streaming platforms for former Bally Sports NHL teams quickly if the teams are forced off those channels.
Bally Sports+
Bally Sports+ is a direct-to-consumer streaming service that offers live games for those who want access to your local Bally Sports RSN without subscribing to a cable or satellite package.