The Best Denver Sports Games You Can Watch for Free

Denver Broncos

All it took was a global pandemic for the Ebenezer Scrooge of professional sports to grow a heart: The NFL is making its NFL Game Pass free to fans through May 31, which means every game from the past decade can be accessed through the website or NFL app. That’s 160-plus Broncos games, not including playoff appearances (yes—though it’s difficult to remember that far back, the Donkeys did make some), so here’s a primer as you dig into the collection. 

• Broncos vs. New England Patriots (October 11, 2009): The yellow jerseys Denver wore to celebrate the team’s 50th anniversary aren’t great—and neither would be the tenure of then first-year coach Josh McDaniels, who was fired during the following season. But just try not to feel a measure of satisfaction for McDaniels following this meeting between his undefeated Broncos and his former squad, the cheaters of New England.
• Broncos vs. Miami Dolphins (November 23, 2014): Middling Miami visits the AFC West–leading Broncos. What could go wrong? Plenty. But think of the contest as an allegory for our times: Do what Peyton Manning tells you to do and everything will turn out fine.
• Broncos vs. Houston Texans (December 8, 2019): If you’re feeling frustrated right now, like there’s no end in sight to your misery, just remember that the Broncos went longer than a year leading up to this game without scoring more than 24 points. Enter second-round rookie quarterback Drew Lock. You probably remember what happened next, but don’t let that stop you from savoring Lock’s coming-out party; once the game is over, you’ll have plenty of time to ponder whether Lock is truly The One.

Colorado Rockies

Major League Baseball has made more than 200 classic games available for free on its many YouTube channels—including some featuring heroics from the Rockies. While we wish MLB would have included a few of Colorado’s admittedly limited postseason triumphs (see: game 163 in 2007 or the 2018 Wild Card Game), there are still plenty of Rox replays available to help you miss the boys in purple just a little bit less.

• Rockies vs. Atlanta Braves (April 17, 2010): Early in the 2010 season, many believed the Rockies were destined to make back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time in franchise history. Ubaldo Jimenez’s dominating pitching performance against the Braves—without a doubt the best in team history—did nothing to quell the Rockies’ hype.  
• Rockies vs. Arizona Diamondbacks (April 4, 2016): He’s performed so many incredible feats since, so it may be easy to forget that shortstop Trevor Story began his Rockies career by hitting 10 home runs during the first month of his rookie campaign. This is where his penchant for blasting moon shots all began.
• Rockies vs. San Francisco Giants (June 18, 2017): This Father Day’s classic produced one of the most iconic images in Rockies history: A bloodied Nolan Arenado screaming with excitement in front of a sold-out Coors Field crowd.

Denver Nuggets

If you’re a Nuggets fan, it’s been a tough season to watch—and not because of the play on the court. (Denver was the third seed in the Western Conference before the NBA postponed the campaign.) Actually viewing games this season has been a struggle due to failed negotiations between Altitude Sports and major cable providers (DirecTV customers are pretty much the only ones getting Altitude). Thankfully, NBA League Pass has unlocked all games from the past two seasons, so you can spend your mandated stay-at-home time catching up on what you missed. All you have to do is make an account and you can watch free of charge. Here are three recent classics to get you started.

• Nuggets vs. Boston Celtics (November 5, 2018): It’s common knowledge now that Jamal Murray is the real deal. But back in 2018, the then 21-year-old was still trying to earn his stripes in the league. And what he did to the Celtics early in the 2018–19 season—driving Kyrie Irving mad in the process—remains one of his defining moments. 
• Nuggets vs. San Antonio Spurs (April 27, 2019): Last year, the Nuggets stormed back into the playoffs for the first time since 2013 as the second seed in the West. The team was still young, though, and relatively untested. So it wasn’t shocking that the Spurs evened the series at three games to set up a nervy (at least for Nuggets fans) Game Seven showdown at the Pepsi Center. 
• Nuggets vs. Jazz (February 5, 2020): Denver was destined to lose this one. Plagued by injuries, they only had seven guys at full health. Plus, they were playing back-to-back nights so even the healthy guys were tired when they took the floor in Salt Lake City. So, yeah, they should’ve definitely lost this game…except no one told that to Nikola Jokić. 

Colorado Avalanche

Avalanche fans have dealt with the same viewing issues that plagued Nuggets, Rapids, and Mammoth devotees, as Altitude Sports couldn’t resolve contract negotiations prior to the start of the season. As with most other pro sports leagues, however, NHL.tv is now offering free access to 2019–20 games (viewers must make an account). Here are three of our top picks: 

• Avalanche vs. Arizona Coyotes (October 12, 2019): The Avs entered the year as one of the most hyped teams in the NHL—and didn’t disappoint. They won five straight to begin the season, including this thriller against their division rivals. 
• Avalanche vs. Detroit Red Wings (March 2, 2020): The skating-wounded Avalanche did something remarkable in late February and early March: They couldn’t lose. Check out this battle in Detroit, where the Avs sought their ninth-straight victory on the road and their seventh-consecutive win overall. 
• Avalanche vs. New York Rangers (March 11, 2020): No one knew this would be the last game the Avalanche would play before the season was indefinitely postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak. Nevertheless, they gave us quite a going-away party at the Pepsi Center.