Calgary Flames Find New Radio Home at QR Calgary 770 AM in Five Year Deal

Calgary Flames fans will have a new place to follow every game after QR Calgary 770 AM was announced as the team’s new radio broadcast home, ending a short period of uncertainty following the closure of Sportsnet 960 The Fan.

The agreement brings Flames hockey back to a traditional radio platform and guarantees that fans will be able to listen to every home and road game over the next five seasons.

The announcement comes after Rogers shut down Sportsnet 960 on July 7, leaving the Flames without a dedicated radio station just weeks before the new NHL season. The closure generated significant concern among Calgary hockey fans, many of whom had relied on the station for live games, hockey analysis and daily programming.

The gap, however, proved to be short lived.

Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corp. moved quickly to find another broadcasting partner, while Corus Entertainment, the company behind QR Calgary 770 AM, approached the organization about taking over the radio rights.

The negotiations were completed in only a matter of weeks, considerably faster than the lengthy process normally associated with major broadcasting agreements.

For Flames supporters, the most important part of the deal is simple. Every Calgary game will continue to be available on radio without the need for a television or streaming subscription.

That is increasingly significant as the cost of following professional hockey continues to rise.

Canadian sports fans have faced higher streaming costs and changing broadcast arrangements in recent years. With some NHL games moving across different platforms, following a team throughout an entire season can require access to multiple services.

Radio remains one of the few ways fans can follow live hockey without paying an additional subscription.

The new arrangement means Flames supporters can listen while driving, working, relaxing at home or following the team away from Calgary.

The partnership also carries historical significance.

QR Calgary 770 AM previously broadcast Flames games during one of the most important periods in franchise history. The station was the radio home of the Flames when Calgary won the Stanley Cup in 1989.

That history gives the new partnership a sense of continuity while creating a new chapter for the organization.

The agreement is also expected to involve more than simply carrying live games.

QR Calgary is developing a new daily sports program called Flames Now, which is expected to provide additional coverage surrounding the team. Several personalities associated with the former Sportsnet 960 operation are also expected to join the new station.

The new programming could provide Flames fans with something similar to the daily hockey discussion and analysis that Sportsnet 960 offered before its closure.

More details about the lineup and on air personalities are expected to be announced later.

The move could also strengthen QR Calgary’s position as a major sports station in the city.

The station already broadcasts Calgary Stampeders games after extending its longstanding partnership with the Canadian Football League team earlier this year. Adding the Flames gives QR Calgary coverage of two of Calgary’s most prominent professional sports organizations.

That could create opportunities for the station to become a central destination for Calgary sports fans throughout the year.

There is, however, one scheduling issue that will need to be managed.

The Flames and Stampeders could occasionally have games scheduled at the same time. This season, one notable conflict is expected on Oct. 10, when Calgary’s NHL team is scheduled to face the Anaheim Ducks while the Stampeders are scheduled to play the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

How the station handles simultaneous events will be an interesting test of its expanded sports responsibilities.

Corus Entertainment already has experience dealing with multiple professional sports properties in other Canadian markets, including radio partnerships involving NHL and CFL teams in Edmonton and Winnipeg.

That experience could help the Calgary operation manage overlapping schedules and provide listeners with appropriate coverage.

The return of Flames hockey to terrestrial radio is also important from a community perspective.

Radio remains accessible to fans who may not have reliable internet service or who simply prefer listening to games rather than watching them. Longtime hockey supporters have also developed a strong connection to radio broadcasts, particularly during long drives or when television viewing is not possible.

For many fans, the voice of a radio play by play announcer is as much a part of the hockey experience as the arena itself.

The sudden closure of Sportsnet 960 demonstrated how important that connection remains.

Following the announcement that the station would disappear, Flames officials said they received a large volume of messages from supporters asking what would happen to radio coverage.

Fans expressed their concerns at public events and through direct communication with the organization, making it clear that radio remains an important part of the relationship between the team and its supporters.

The new five year agreement therefore provides more than a broadcasting solution. It gives the Flames a stable radio platform while providing fans with certainty about where they can hear games for the foreseeable future.

The agreement also comes at an important time for the franchise as it continues to build toward its next competitive chapter.

With every game available on radio, supporters will not have to worry about missing coverage because of changing television arrangements or the closure of a previous station.

QR Calgary 770 AM now becomes the primary radio destination for Flames fans, while the development of additional programming could make the partnership more comprehensive than a simple game broadcast agreement.

The station’s connection to the 1989 Stanley Cup season adds another layer of significance. More than three decades after helping deliver the club’s greatest championship moment to Calgary listeners, QR Calgary is once again preparing to carry Flames hockey.

For fans who worried that the end of Sportsnet 960 might mean the disappearance of regular Flames radio coverage, the latest announcement offers welcome reassurance.

The Flames have found a new home, and it is a familiar one.

With a five year commitment, live coverage of every home and road game, new daily hockey programming and a growing relationship with Calgary’s professional sports teams, QR Calgary 770 AM is positioned to become an important part of the city’s sports media landscape.

For Flames supporters, the biggest victory is perhaps the simplest one: when the puck drops, the game will still be there on the radio.

Courtesy: calgaryherald