Fox Sports San Diego secures TWC deal ahead of new Padres season

Regional sports network Fox Sports San Diego has boosted its reach ahead of the new MLB baseball season by agreeing a carriage deal with cable-television operator Time Warner Cable.

FSSD is the local rights-holder of San Diego Padres baseball games, but has been unable to strike a deal with TWC since its launch in March 2012. This meant that the network was unavailable to 22 per cent of San Diego County households.

However, the two parties have now announced that TWC will begin offering FSSD in time for the 2014 MLB season. Padres games will be distributed on TWC systems in San Diego, as well as surrounding areas in the Padres territory, from March 30, when the team opens its campaign by welcoming Los Angeles Dodgers to Petco Park.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Jennifer Chun, senior vice-president of content acquisition for TWC, said the two sides had reached a “reasonable long-term agreement.”