Dodgers Team News

Dodgers News: Mark Walter Adresses TWC SportsNet LA Negotiations

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The Los Angeles Dodgers are in the third month of their regular season yet 70 percent of Los Angeles is unable to watch games that aren’t national broadcasts from the comfort of their own home.

Time Warner Cable and other cable distributors haven’t come to terms for the rights to carry SportsNet LA, an all-Dodgers network that the team co-owns. Along with discussing the Dodgers’ current state, controlling owner Mark Walter expressed frustration over the TV dispute, via Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times:

We’re frustrated about it, too,” Walter said. “I feel really sorry about the fact that we can’t get everybody to be able see it. We’re working really hard to get it done.

Despite being frustrated with the situation, Walter suggested talks are ongoing and added he’s optimistic:

I think there’s a lot of communication going on. I’m optimistic.”

In April, Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti was critical of TWC and other cable distributors for not yet having a deal in place and pleaded with them to get one in place. Since that point, Dodgers president Stan Kasten suggested fans switch from DirecTV as he believes they will not add SportsNet LA to their programming this season.

Although they have yet to add SportsNet LA, DirecTV increased their regional sports network fee in what was another twist in the frustrating situation. DirecTV and TWC were at odds when the Los Angeles Lakers launched a similar network two years ago, but that was resolved within the first two weeks of the regular season.

Walter may have shared his optimism but with no clear signs of progress being made, it’s difficult to envision the blackout coming to an end anytime soon.
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18 Comments

  1. This is just pathetic. I have been a Dodgers fan since 1959. In that year I could watch at least nine games. All the games from San Francisco were on TV.
    Now, 55 years later I don’t even get that. I am fast losing faith in the new Dodgers owners.

  2. Could careless like the rest of the 70% of L.A. who can’t see Doyer games anymore. NFL is coming up and when that starts, nobody is gonna care if we get Doyer games. A really great PR move TW & Doyers, nice job, way to do business…

  3. Stan and Walter,

    Everybody has a business failure once and awhile. Looks like this is yours!

  4. Stan Kasten must be on TWC because his comments are the same as the TWC commercials that urge us to switch away from DirecTV. Only problem is that TWC doesn’t service much of So. Cal so their marketing BS is just that; they are just talking marketing spin to the wrong people. Stop bad mouthing the people you are supposed to be partnering with that will distribute the over-priced product and get back to the bargaining table! You’re targeting the wrong audience!!!

  5. $8.3 Billion is not a bad business deal. But if only 30% of the fan base are able to view The Dodgers Network, the sponsors should pull out or pay 70% less for commercial ads. That would diminish the deal as time goes on.

  6. There’s a light at the end of the tunnel for Charter customers. Comcast is taking over TWC. Sportsnet LA becomes a Comcast channel. Charter and Comcast have a deal to swap multiple markets, one of them being California. Charter in California becomes Comcast… voila! Google it, it’s happening. Just probably won’t be completed this season.

  7. We too, have been watching The Dodgers (on Prime) for years! Quit apologizing and make it possible for DODGER FANS (who helps pay the salaries) to watch the games without raping us! That is what will happen if other cable and satellite companies bow down to their wishes! As much as I miss watching the games (which was EVERY game) I hope nobody caves in to their outrageous price increases! Should have just left it alone….you never had a problem with a viewing audience before this “deal.”.
    GET WITH THE PROGRAM Dodger owners (and alike) and make your fans happy instead of worrying about how much extra money you’ll pocket! I hope TWC and SportsNet LA lose out on this….BIG TIME! It’s about Dodger fans, not the almighty dollar! Catch a CLUE!

  8. It is time for ownership to take responsibility for this huge screw up. As it turns out Stan Kasten is as bad an owner as the last one. All he can see is dollar signs but has lost track of the fact that it is the fans who pay for everything in the end. I am 50 years old and a Dodger fan for 45 of those years. I have not been this upset since the baseball strike in the 90’s. I just want to say FUCK YOU Stan. The Dodgers belong to the fans.

  9. What’s the point of this article??? Seriously, there is absolutely nothing new to report. My only questions is why aren’t the fans more irritated at the new ownership? They are the ones that entered into this agreement with Time Warner and benefiting from it! Stan Kastan tries to blame Time Warner but why doesn’t he look at himself and the other investors. I hate to say it but I think this ownership team is worse than the McCourts owning the team. At least we were able to watch every game, not a couple through the year! Plus the team is not that any better with all the money they are spending!

  10. Both sides are greedy beyond belief. The best fans in baseball do not deserve this. TWC deserves this problem for outbidding everyone else by billions. The Dodgers deserve this problem for not realistically mediating it. Stan Kasten is a two-faced shill who knows exactly what it would take to end the stalemate, but the Guggy-Dodgers, like TWC, are just another greedy version of the McCourts.

  11. Mr Stan Kasten not all of us have disposable income to pay early termination fees so we can switch to TWC nor would i want TWC they don’t treat their customers right.

    fan since 1958
    f. lujan

  12. The way the Dodgers are playing right now will soon make them irrelevant in the pennant race. Then it won’t matter about watching the team. Time Warner will be stuck with their bad decision until next year. This would be like not buying any more tickets for an irrelevant team.

  13. TWC can’t afford to make good on this deal unless the other carriers sign on and charge their customers. This is a wait and see FAIL!!! No one is in negotiations. None of the other carriers are willing to go along with this idiotic deal!

    Great job Guggenheim baseball and Stan Kasten! You are SERIOUSLY WORSE than any of the previous idiot owners!!! WHo ever said you were great businessmen and great for baseball needs to be strung up by their thumbs along with all of you. Including Magic Johnson!!! We were all so ready to get rid of McCourt and easily fooled.

    Shame on us for letting you fool us twice!

    We let the O’Malleys move to San Diego and we are stuck with one idiot owner after another.

    Anyone who would think that fans would opt to switch to TWC is absolutely a MORON!!! And was easily duped by TWC into believing fans would do so. Been there done that! They offer the WORST cable service and their Internet never works for more than 1-2 days at a time. Who in their right mind would use TWC if you don’t have to???? Obviously NOT 70% of Dodger fans who have found workarounds.

    I grew up listening to baseball on the radio….. it’s a much better option!!!!!! And when this deal FAILS miserably and Gugenheim is bankrupt like all the other idiots, maybe MLB will look more closely at who they let become owners.

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