View source for Hawkvision

{{short description|American regional sports network}}
{{Infobox Network
| network_name = Hawkvision
| network_logo = 
| headquarters = [[Chicago, IL]]
| network_type = [[Pay television]] [[Television network|network]] ([[sports]])
| available = [[United States]]
| owner = [[Wirtz Corporation]]
| launch_date = {{start date and age|1992}}
| dissolved = {{End date and age|1995}}
| key_people = 
| past_names = 
| website = 
}}

'''Hawkvision''' was a short-lived [[pay TV|subscription TV]] service founded by [[Wirtz Corporation]] and [[Chicago Blackhawks]] owner [[Bill Wirtz]].<ref name="cs100">{{cite web
 |url=http://www.csweekly.com/featuredStory/index/id/112 
 |title=Shooting The Hawks 
 |access-date=2008-01-03 
 |author=Wood, Matt 
 |date=November 21, 2007 
 |publisher=Chicago Sports Weekly 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071201110839/http://www.csweekly.com/featuredStory/index/id/112 
 |archive-date=December 1, 2007 
 |url-status=dead 
}}
</ref> The service broadcast Chicago Blackhawks games. It operated in conjunction with Chicago's [[FSN Chicago#Affiliation with SportsChannel and Fox Sports Net|local version of]] [[SportsChannel]], and access cost [[United States dollar|$]]29.95 per month.

==Overview==
In 1992, Wirtz, who had a reputation for stubbornness and frugality,<ref name="fox001">
{{cite web|url = http://www.myfoxchicago.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail;jsessionid=3ABD84EA791AB982852D865E38D586E3?contentId=4467845&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=1.1.1&sflg=1|title = Blackhawks Owner William Wirtz Dies
|access-date = 2007-09-29|agency = Associated Press|date = September 26, 2007|publisher = Fox News}}</ref> ended all Blackhawks broadcast agreements with [[network television|network]] and [[cable television]] outlets. While vilified for this decision by many Blackhawks fans, he felt that broadcasting regular home games was unfair to the team's season-ticket holders.<ref name="st001">{{cite web
 |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4155/is_20020227/ai_n12455624 
 |title=All playoff games will be televised 
 |access-date=2007-09-29 
 |first=Len 
 |last=Ziehm 
 |date=February 27, 2002 
 |publisher=Chicago SunTimes 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071210162206/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4155/is_20020227/ai_n12455624 
 |archive-date=December 10, 2007 
 |url-status=dead 
}}</ref> Only Blackhawks games picked up by national broadcasters (which only happened when the Blackhawks made the playoffs) were shown on basic cable (complicated further by [[SportsChannel America]] having various issues with carriage).

Hawkvision only broadcast for a short time, ending after the {{nhly|1994}} season. However, regular Blackhawk home games did not resume airing on television until the {{nhly|2007}} season after Wirtz's death. His son [[Rocky Wirtz|Rocky]] took over the team's operations and agreed to allow [[WGN-TV]] and [[NBC Sports Chicago]] to carry those games.

Similar subscription TV services were utilized for the [[Montreal Canadiens]] and [[Winnipeg Jets]] by rightsholder [[The Sports Network|TSN]] from 2010 through 2014.

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{Navboxes|list1=
{{Chicago TV}}
{{National Hockey League on national television}}
{{Chicago Blackhawks}}
{{NHL on SportsChannel America}}
{{U.S. premium television services}}
{{SportsChannel America}}
}}

[[Category:American subscription television services]]
[[Category:Television stations in Chicago]]
[[Category:Television channels and stations established in 1992]]
[[Category:1992 establishments in Illinois]]
[[Category:Television channels and stations disestablished in 1995]]
[[Category:1995 disestablishments in Illinois]]
[[Category:Defunct television networks in the United States]]
[[Category:SportsChannel]]
[[Category:National Hockey League on television]]