Stars’ Local TV Deal Goes Supernova as Team and RSN Agree to Split
The Dallas Stars and the principal owner of Bally Sports Southwest have arrived at a mutual parting of the ways.
www.sportico.com
If they do go the local TV route and app for those without an antenna or cable, they would be the 6th NHL team to go over the air. Let's hope so...
Vegas Golden Knights, Phoenix Coyotes/now Utah Hockey Club, and Florida Panthers have Scripps-owned local TV stations as flagships. Seattle Kraken are going with Tegna to air games on its duopoly there (NBC KING-TV/independent KONG) starting in the fall. The Blackhawks (along with the Bulls and White Sox) are forming their own RSN, but also say it will be available over the air.
Scripps converted their Ion O&Os for Vegas (KMCC) and Salt Lake City (KUPX) to be general entertainment and sports independents (Ion moved to a subchannel). They will covert their CW-affiliated WSFL Miami to an independent and carry the Panthers in the fall. They own Ion O&O KPXD here. Tegna has WFAA/KMPX here, but I'm not sure how much freedom it has to repurpose KMPX...they bought it with the intent to swap facilities after 5 years so WFAA gets off the weaker VHF digital channel 8 signal and will go to KMPX's real frequency 30. KMPX would go the other way and Estrella has the ability to buy it back once that happens...