The St. Louis Blues and Gray Media announced a multi-year partnership that will put 10 select Blue Note+ telecasts on First Alert ABC in St. Louis and 10 other markets across the team’s five-state broadcast territory this season. The Blues Blue Note+ First Alert ABC simulcast arrangement begins with a Thursday night slate on Oct. 22, giving fans in a region covering more than 4.8 million television households a new way to watch the team without a streaming subscription.
The Main Development
The Thursday Night Blues package will feature only games played on Thursday night or afternoon, according to NHL.com. First Alert ABC, which broadcasts as KDTL Channel 32.1, pairs the network’s national and sports programming with KMOV’s news, weather and community coverage. Gray Media’s ABC 32 is a newly acquired station for the company, making this one of its first major sports distribution deals in the market.
Chris Zimmerman, the Blues’ president and CEO of business operations, said the move was built around accessibility. “Our priority in building a robust distribution strategy for Blue Note+ was to provide our fans with wide access and multiple viewing options that would enable them to watch Blues hockey on their preferred platform,” Zimmerman said.
Zimmerman also pointed to the scale of the jump from last season. “We strongly value our ongoing partnership with Gray Media and their ability to help us double the number of over-the-area telecasts we are able to deliver to our fans from last year,” he said.
What It Means For Local Viewing
ABC 32 will handle the simulcasts in the St. Louis market and into Illinois, while Gray Media will distribute the same broadcasts to additional markets throughout Missouri and into Iowa, Kansas and Indiana. Those markets include Kansas City, Springfield, Missouri, Cape Girardeau, Missouri/Paducah, Kentucky, Quincy, Illinois, Peoria, Illinois, Topeka, Kansas, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Davenport, Iowa, Evansville, Indiana, and Ottumwa, Iowa.
For a fan base spread across five states, the deal removes a barrier that previously limited over-the-air access to Blues hockey outside the St. Louis metro area. The 4.8 million household figure covers the full combined reach of the participating stations, not just the St. Louis market alone.
Added Programming And Context
The agreement goes beyond the 10 game telecasts. It also brings back a Blues Weekly show and adds a recurring feature on First Alert 4 news programs on KMOV, giving the team a consistent presence on local news broadcasts between games.
JD Sosnoff, vice president and general manager of KMOV, framed the deal as a ratings and positioning win for the station. “Expanding our relationship with the St. Louis Blues on a multi-year deal is another history-making milestone for our station and our viewers,” Sosnoff said.
“Airing these 10 Thursday night games on First Alert 4 on ABC makes our station the number one broadcast destination for sports in St. Louis.”
The partnership builds on an existing relationship between the Blues and Gray Media, with Zimmerman noting the new deal doubles the number of over-the-air telecasts available to fans compared with last season.
What’s Next
The first simulcast under the new arrangement airs Thursday, Oct. 22, on First Alert ABC. The Blues have been in regular-season action already this month, following results like their 6-1 win over the Avalanche and a 3-2 overtime loss to the Sharks. Fans can also track the team’s early-season form through recent coverage of the 4-0 win over the Stars and the Toropchenko injury update from that game.
Additional reporting via the Blues’ official site.
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