Denver sports fans will once again be able to watch the Colorado Avalanche and Denver Nuggets for free over the air this season.

Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE) has extended its deal with TEGNA to carry 20 Avalanche games and 20 Nuggets games on My20 (KTVD) in Denver, with five games from each team simulcast on 9NEWS (KUSA). The broadcasts will continue to be produced by Altitude Sports with the usual on-air crews.

“We couldn’t be more excited to bring this fan-first partnership with TEGNA back for another year,” Kevin Demoff, KSE’s president of team and media operations, said in a statement. “Last season’s overwhelming community response to this partnership reinforced our commitment to ensuring that the fans who support the Nuggets and Avs can cheer on their favorite teams even when they can’t be with us at Ball Arena.”

The agreement gives nearly 3.5 million people in the Denver metro area free access to local regular-season games. It also extends a model that proved popular last year, while Altitude broadened its reach through both traditional carriers and streaming, which it leaned into during its notorious Comcast dispute.

“After last year’s tremendous success as the official over-the-air broadcast home of the Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche, we’re excited to continue this partnership for another season,” said Mark Cornetta, senior vice president of media operations for TEGNA. “The response last year exceeded our expectations, and we’re proud to once again provide Denver fans with the ability to watch their beloved Nuggets and Avs play.”

This renewed over-the-air window lands as KSE rebuilds its TV footprint. Earlier this year, Altitude returned to Comcast/Xfinity after nearly a six-year blackout, resuming carriage on the provider’s sports tier. Demoff called resolving TV access “priority number one” and apologized to fans for missed games during the standoff. At the same time, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston hailed the return as “an incredible day for Denver sports fans.” The network remains unavailable on DISH and KSE has said it’s pushing next for broader distribution on services like Hulu + Live TV and YouTube TV.

The move adds additional free options even with the Comcast resolution in place. Depending on national-exclusive windows and OTA simulcasts, Denver viewers using an antenna plus a streaming bundle that carries national partners could see upward of 45 Nuggets games without subscribing to Altitude.

The move mirrors a broader industry pivot. Regional sports networks have cratered nationwide, pushing teams toward direct-to-consumer apps and old-school broadcast TV. Vegas partnered with Scripps for free local telecasts and launched KnightTime+. MLB stepped in to run several clubs’ broadcasts after RSN collapses. Locally, the Rockies placed 10 Friday games last season on KTVD, with five also on 9NEWS, while maintaining a direct-to-consumer option via Rockies.TV. The Avs and Nuggets’ over-the-air slate sits alongside significant national TV appearances for both clubs; the Avs even get a preseason TNT showcase, and the Nuggets again draw ABC/ESPN windows, including Christmas night.

Nuggets on 9NEWS/My20

Oct. 25 – vs Phoenix Suns
Oct. 29 – vs New Orleans Pelicans*
Oct. 31 – at Portland Trail Blazers
Nov. 5 – vs Miami Heat*
Nov. 15 – at Minnesota Timberwolves
Nov. 24 – at Memphis Grizzlies
Dec. 1 – vs Dallas Mavericks
Dec. 18 – vs Orlando Magic*
Dec. 22 – vs Utah Jazz
Jan. 7 – at Boston Celtics
Jan. 17 – vs Washington Wizards
Jan. 22 – at Washington Wizards
Jan. 29 – vs Brooklyn Nets
March 6 – vs New York Knicks*
March 9 – at Oklahoma City Thunder
March 25 – vs Dallas Mavericks
April 1 – at Utah Jazz
April 6 – vs Portland Trail Blazers
April 8 – vs Memphis Grizzlies*
April 12 – at San Antonio Spurs

Avalanche on 9NEWS/My20

Oct. 11 – vs Dallas Stars
Oct. 18 – vs Boston Bruins
Nov. 8 – at Edmonton Oilers
Nov. 13 – vs Buffalo Sabres*
Nov. 20 – vs New York Rangers*
Dec. 4 – at New York Islanders
Dec. 13 – vs Nashville Predators
Dec. 19 – vs Winnipeg Jets
Jan. 8 – vs Ottawa Senators
Jan. 12 – vs Toronto Maple Leafs
Jan 16 – vs Nashville Predators
Feb. 2 – vs Detroit Red Wings
Feb. 26 – vs Minnesota Wild*
March 2 – at Los Angeles Kings
March 12 – at Seattle Kraken
March 20 – at Chicago Blackhawks
March 26 – at Winnipeg Jets
April 9 – vs Calgary Flames*
April 13 – at Edmonton Oilers
April 14 – at Calgary Flames*

*Games simulcast on 9NEWS (Channel 9) and KTVD (Channel 20). All other games listed will be broadcast on KTVD Channel 20.

Broadcast notes

Altitude produces the telecasts that air on 9NEWS and My20, with Chris Marlowe, Scott Hastings, Vic Lombardi, Katy Winge and Christopher Dempsey on Nuggets coverage, and Marc Moser, Mark Rycroft, John-Michael Liles, Kyle Keefe and Rachel Tos on Avs coverage.

Over-the-air Nuggets and Avs games on KUSA/KTVD are exclusive within the Denver market; outer-market viewers can watch on Altitude or Altitude+.

Altitude Sports remains available across its nine-state territory on Xfinity TV, DIRECTV, DIRECTV STREAM, Fubo and other local providers.