Dallas Stars depart Bally Sports, go DTC with Victory+ streaming service

The Dallas Stars have entered into a seven-year agreement with A Parent Media Co. Inc. (APMC) to stream all regional Dallas Stars games free of charge starting with the 2024-25 season. The games will be available on VICTORY+, a new streaming service created by APMC.

“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+,” said Dallas Stars President and CEO Brad Alberts. “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.”

Alberts also acknowledged the end of their current relationship with Diamond Sports Group, pending court approval, and thanked Bally Sports for their 25-year partnership.

Dallas is now the fourth NHL team to part from Diamond Sports Group since 2023, following the Vegas Golden Knights, the former Arizona Coyotes (now the Utah Hockey Club) and the Florida Panthers, each working with Scripps Sports in their local markets.

Additionally, the Seattle Kraken are moving their local broadcasts to TENGA affiliate stations in the Pacific Northwest and will stream games on Prime Video after departing Root Sports Northwest.

VICTORY+ will be available for download on smart TVs, tablets and smartphones in September 2024. This ensures that fans within the Dallas Stars regional territory, which includes Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas, can enjoy content on their preferred devices. Fans outside the regional territory will have access to a robust selection of ancillary content provided by the team.

The service will be offered as a free, ad-supported streaming service, enhancing the fan experience with a low-latency feed and high ad-fill rate. APMC’s ad-tech solution, Safe Exchange, will enable both direct and programmatic ads, providing advertisers full access to the engaged audience base.

“With more than a decade of safe streaming and monetization experience, we are excited to expand beyond Kidoodle.TV and Dude Perfect into sports,” stated APMC President and CEO Neil Gruninger. “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.”

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To ensure the highest production quality and fan experience, APMC has hired former FOX Sports Executive Producer and Dallas Stars Vice President of Broadcasting Jason Walsh to lead VICTORY+. 

Alberts told SBJ that the team is considering the possibility of bringing “a small package” of local games to a linear network in the region, but nothing is imminent on that front. Unless a local broadcast agreement is reached, the only Stars games that will air on linear television within the team’s local broadcast territory will be national broadcasts carried on ESPN and TNT Sports.

The Dallas Stars will be the service’s first client, with plans to add additional professional sports teams in the near future.