Victory+, the streaming service co-founded by the Dallas Stars, has officially ceased operations. This decision comes after a tumultuous period marked by significant losses in sports broadcasting rights, leading to the platform's dissolution by its parent company.
As reported by the Dallas Morning News, the closure means that fans will no longer have access to Dallas Stars games or Texas high school football through Victory+. The news was communicated via email to various school districts in North Texas, signaling the end of an era for local sports streaming.
Earlier this week, reports surfaced indicating that the Dallas Stars were contemplating a move to Amazon Prime Video for their game broadcasts in the upcoming season. Given that the Stars were not only co-founders of Victory+ but also held an equity stake, their potential departure raised alarms about the platform's viability. Sports journalist Sam Nestler noted that the situation pointed towards a broader collapse of Victory+, rather than just a loss of rights for the Stars.
The decline of Victory+ was not sudden. In July, the Texas Rangers made headlines by dropping the service in favor of a new streaming partner, BZZR, citing a lack of trust in Victory+ to fulfill its financial obligations. On the same day, the Anaheim Ducks also exited their agreement with Victory+, despite having two years remaining on their contract. The situation worsened when the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) withdrew its matches from Victory+ after the platform failed to make a rights payment, subsequently moving to NWSL+ for their broadcasts.
Following these departures, Victory+ took steps to restructure its leadership, removing CEO Neil Gruninger and appointing Jon Spencer from TriWest Capital Partners to lead the company. At that time, it was believed that the remaining partners—such as the Dallas Stars, WNBA teams Minnesota Lynx and Atlanta Dream, League One Volleyball, and Texas high school football—were secure. However, the recent developments indicate that this was not the case for the Stars.
The dissolution of Victory+ highlights the challenges faced by streaming services that rely solely on advertising revenue to support local sports broadcasts. The experiment of offering free streaming for local sports appears to have come to a premature end, leaving fans and stakeholders to seek new avenues for viewing their favorite teams.
As the sports broadcasting landscape continues to evolve, the fate of Victory+ serves as a cautionary tale about the complexities and financial realities of streaming rights in the competitive sports market.
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