Dallas Stars Leave Victory Plus For Amazon Prime Video
The Dallas Stars have had a summer of big announcements. First, the Stars announced they’re moving about 20 minutes north to Plano.
Now, the Stars dropped another bombshell: they’re switching TV providers for regional fans and opting for Amazon Prime Video going forward.
Today we’re going to be looking at the good and the bad of the switch.
We’ll also look at how this won’t change anything for some customers, and how, compared to a rival team’s fanbase, it ain’t so bad.
Victory+ Was An Experiment
Team franchises and broadcasting networks are always looking for ways to keep customers around and happy. Victory+ launched as an affordable way for customers in the region to watch the Stars (or the Anaheim Ducks, MLB’s Texas Rangers, or high school football) for free with ads.
It turned out the owners of Victory+ weren’t paying all of their bills, and teams were losing money. The Stars lost millions of dollars. It was an ambitious idea for an outlet. But it only lasted a few years. We can certainly give credit to A Parent Media Co. Inc. (APMC) for giving it a shot. If Victory+ survives the fallout it’ll need to take a new form of streaming, and have new ownership do away with the stand alone service.
Stars President Brad Alberts did everything he could to keep his team with APMC. But too many mistakes from the streaming service, and the Stars losing out on a lot of money, forced Dallas to move on.
Some Are Mad
People are often upset when a major change happens. In this case, Victory+ was a streaming service many people liked. Not only was it free with ads, but the viewing and production were also done well. Many people liked it over the last couple of years, and it will be missed.
Important perspective to note. Other teams, such as the Minnesota Wild, require additional costs to watch their games. Fans in their region need a separate Amazon Prime Video subscription to watch Wild games.
At least Stars fans don’t need a separate subscription, unlike regional Wild fans. It shows that Stars owner Tom Gaglardi and the rest of the upper brass of the front office did what they could to save money for their fans.
Will It Benefit The Stars?
Many people already have an Amazon Prime membership. Their viewing quality is well liked and respected. Some might not even need to pay for the add-on.
Monthly subscriptions are $14.99, and the annual plan is $139.
With Dallas on better financial footing with their new home on television, they’re better off with the upcoming move to Plano in 2031. Also factor in the salary cap continuing to rise, and players in the league making more and more money via offer sheets or news/record-breaking contracts.
Fans in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana will need Amazon Prime if they don’t already have it.
Fans outside the region can watch Stars games on other streaming services, such as ESPN+ or Hulu+, if they live outside the market area.
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