The E.W. Scripps Company has made it clear they were in a position to help pick up the pieces for teams when things began to change for RSNs like Bally Sports and AT&T Sportsnet.
In Las Vegas, the Golden Knights announced Thursday that Scripps Sports reached an agreement on a multi-year local rights deal. Games will air locally on KMCC-TV, which is owned by Scripps and carries ION programming. The channel is expected to be rebranded as an independent station ahead of next season, and will be available in Nevada over the air for free, on cable and digitally. Games will also have distribution into neighboring states like Idaho, Montana, Utah and Wyoming.
“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,” Golden Knights 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.”
Scripps also owns the ABC affiliate in town, KTNV. The station has carried preseason games since the team’s inaugural campaign in 2017-18.
A direct-to-consumer streaming option is also in the works, and more info on that will be revealed when everything is finalized.
Game broadcasters Dave Goucher and Shane Hnidy will continue to be on the call. Broadcasts will also include pregame and postgame coverage.
The Golden Knights’ deal with Scripps is very similar to the one the Phoenix Suns and Mercury did with Gray Television to get NBA and WNBA games off of Bally Sports and onto broadcast TV across Arizona. Diamond Sports Group, parent company of the Bally Sports RSNs, has filed a lawsuit against the teams to stop that move.
