Dodgers Team News

Dodgers News: Stan Kasten Remains Confident In SportsNet LA Deal Soon

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Opening Day for the Los Angeles Dodgers is less than a week away and many fans may be left scrambling to find a way to catch their team on television.

SportsNet LA, the Dodgers’ new channel, has been up and running since February 25, but only for those with Time Warner Cable and Bright House Network. Negotiations have been ongoing between Time Warner Cable and other cable providers in order to reach the rest of the fans in the area.



According to Ben Bergman of 89.3 KPCC, Dodgers’ president Stan Kasten isn’t worried yet about channel distribution:

We remain optimistic that in short order we’re going to have full coverage throughout the market because it’s something this incredibly deep and loyal fan base wants to have, Kasten said Friday.

Kasten said he’s not surprised it’s coming down to the wire, because that’s how it went with the Lakers channel, and what’s happened in other cities.

Negotiations will get more serious as we get closer to opening day, and perhaps beyond, if we’re not completely done by opening day, Kasten said.

This isn’t the first time Dodger fans have heard that negotiations should ramp up closer to Opening Day, but it’s the first time any mention of a deal not being done by Opening Day has been publicly stated. Kasten’s comments may seem mostly optimistic; however, his mention of negotiations going past the team’s first game could be a small dose of reality.

This weekend, the Dodgers will take on the Arizona Diamondbacks in Australia for a two-game series in Australia. As of now, in the Los Angeles area, only those with SportsNet LA will have access to the game. MLB Network will be showing the two games, but it’ll be blacked out in the LA area. After that, the next regular season game that Dodgers fans will miss would be the second game of the opening series with the San Diego Padres on April 1. Opening Day in San Diego will be broadcasted on ESPN on March 30.

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Vincent Samperio

Vince is currently the Associate Editor and Social Media Manager for Dodgers Nation. Hailing from San Pedro, CA and a student at Cal State Long Beach, Vince has previously written for the Daily 49er and LASF Magazine.

7 Comments

  1. It is annoying that the Dodgers would not have timed this better. Until I can see the Dodgers on my television here in South Orange County then I will not be motivated to consider a trip to Dodger stadium.

  2. Dose of reality of reality? For who the fans or the Dodgers front office. I have never seen such a negative issue facing Dodger fans in my life. This has been poorly though out on the Dodgers side. Does Kasten realize that the Laker channel was also TWC and that cost the Laker a lot of bad press and unhappy fans. So of course they award the tv contract to TWC…Bad decision in my opinion.

  3. Why does MLB Tv have to black out the first 2 games in Australia? I thought blackouts were done in the home town of teams playing home games so fans would be motivated to go to the game in person….

    1. The NFL’s blackout policy is like that. Baseball’s policy is not to drive people to the game, but to drive people to the local broadcast of the game. Only game on ESPN, FOX, etc are excluded.

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