📺 Sports blackout ends

It's Friday! (We double-checked this time. Apologies for yesterday's time warp. 🙃)

• Today's weather: Sunny with a high near 85.

🎂 Happy birthday to our Axios Denver member Lisa Christie!

🗳️ Programming note: RSVP today for our Axios Newsmakers event on Oct. 8! We'll be talking with local experts about what's at stake in this year's election and answer some of your top questions about what's on the ballot.

Today's newsletter is 733 words — a 2.5-minute read.

Watching the Colorado Avalanche and Denver Nuggets just got a lot easier.

State of play: The team's owner Kroenke Sports & Entertainment announced a broadcasting rights agreement to air Avs and Nuggets games for free on local stations.

• 20 Nuggets games and 20 Avs games will be televised on My20. Ten games will also air on KUSA-9, the local NBC affiliate. TEGNA owns the sister stations.

Why it matters: The deal gives fans the chance to watch two championship-caliber teams at home for the first time in nearly five years.

• Games had been blacked out for Comcast subscribers during that time. The local audience can now use a mix of streaming and over-the-air broadcasts to sidestep Comcast.

The intrigue: Altitude Sports will air games on its new streaming service, Altitude+. All games not televised on a national network will be available to stream.

• The service will cost $19.95 per month, and is available to download on iOS and Android devices.

Zoom in: The two teams also shared their games scheduled to be aired locally.

Between the lines: The app will air regional coverage of Colorado State, University of Denver and Air Force Academy athletics.

• The Altitude Sports network will remain available for DIRECTV, DIRECTV STREAM, Fubo and Spectrum TV subscribers.

The big picture: Many NBA and NHL teams that are leaving their regional sports networks (RSNs) have opted for a hybrid model that includes over-the-air broadcast stations and streaming, sacrificing revenue to try to reach more fans, Axios' Sara Fischer and Tim Baysinger write.

What's next: Nearly 3.5 million people in metro Denver will have access to the games, per an Altitude Sports statement.

• The Colorado Avalanche start their season Oct. 9, and the Denver Nuggets kick off Oct. 24.

Tell a sports fan

🤝Join in on the fun around Denver.

Axios Newsmakers: 2024 Colorado Election at Denver Press Club on Oct 8: Interviews with top Colorado political minds about the upcoming election and what it means for locals. Join Axios Denver and sponsors, The Denver Foundation and Next50, for its second event this election year to get smarter, faster about what's at stake. Your first drink is generously provided by our sponsors.

Spookadelia Immersive Art Experience at Spectra Art Space on Oct 4: Guests who attend this exclusive opening night will be the first to view the new immersive, meet the creators, and enjoy special offerings. $47.73

View from the Top: Innovation in the Face of Uncertainty at Denver Museum of Nature and Science on Oct 23: Join top CEOs at Colorado Business Roundtable's View from the Top as they explore "Innovation in the Face of Uncertainty." Learn from leaders in aerospace, tech, and more as they discuss strategies for navigating rapid change.

Want your event here? Email local-events@axios.com.

Democrats are spending nearly double what Republicans are on political ads in Colorado, a new analysis shows.

Why it matters: The financial advantage gives Democratic campaigns a major advantage heading into the final stages of the election season.

By the numbers: Total political ad spending in the Denver metro area reached $24.7 million from Aug. 1 through Sept. 20, according to tracking firm AdImpact.

• Democratic candidates and campaigns shelled out $16.1 million compared to $8.6 million by Republicans.
• Outside groups affiliated with both parties continue to spend the most.

The big picture: The spending here is a fraction of what cities in battleground states are experiencing. Philadelphia saw TV ads worth $218 million and Detroit had $196 million in the same period.

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Enhanced rider verification, better navigation tools, and more rider accountability are just a few of the Uber Driver app's latest features.

The idea: These changes are aimed at making the things drivers and couriers do every day safer, fairer and easier.

Check out all the new features.

⚖️ A judge ruled that embattled Colorado GOP chairman Dave Williams can stay in power through the November election on grounds that his opponents lacked enough support when they voted to remove and replace him last month. (Colorado Sun)

💼 Dan Haley, the CEO and president of the Colorado Oil & Gas Association, is stepping down after leading the industry group for nine years. (DBJ 🔑)

🛣️ Colorado's automated toll enforcement system issued $57 million in fines last year for drivers crossing double-white lines; but many drivers argue the process is unfair, with limited dispute options and additional fees for contesting violations. (Denver Post 🔑)

👀 A billboard for drivers crossing Colorado's state line from Wyoming reads, "Venezuela Ahead, BE PREPARED!" about the presence of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua in Aurora.

• The sign is funded by Tim Mellon, the single largest donor to former President Trump in the 2020 election cycle. (9News)

Colorado Rockies stalwart Charlie Blackmon will hang his baseball cleats for good once this miserable season ends on Sunday.

The big picture: Blackmon, 38, announced his retirement this month after spending his entire major league career with the Rockies.

• He was drafted by the Rockies from Georgia Tech in 2008 and made his major league debut in June 2011.

Between the lines: He endeared himself to Rox fans by sporting iconic facial hair, regularly hitting homers and having perhaps the best walk-up song on the team.

⚾️ By the numbers: We looked at his most impressive numbers during his 14-season run.

• 1,801 hits
• 1,620 games played (second-all time)
• 991 runs scored
• 334 doubles
• 226 home runs
• 68 triples (all-time team record)
• 4 All-Star appearances
• 1 Zeus-level beard

What's next: The Rockies play the Los Angeles Dodgers tonight to start their final three-game series of the season at Coors Field.

• Colorado will host a tribute for Blackmon during Sunday's season finale.

Uber is stepping up its measures to keep drivers and couriers safe.

Here's how: The ability to see if a rider has gone through additional verification steps and use hands-free voice prompts are just a few of the app's latest features, designed to improve the driver experience.

Get all the deets.

Our picks:

🍁 John is headed to Frisco for leaf-peeping this weekend.

😴 Alayna is catching up on sleep after a jam-packed week and starting the new miniseries "The Penguin" on HBO.

🧟 Esteban is watching the trailer for the new "Last of Us" season.

Thanks to our editor Gigi Sukin.