Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti have called for a resolution to be reached in the carriage dispute that is restricting the broadcast of Los Angeles Dodgers games in the team’s local region.
The Deadline.com website said pay-television operator Time Warner Cable has offered regional providers including DirecTV and Cox a 30 per cent price cut to carry regional pay-television channel SportsNet LA for the 2016 MLB season, which is scheduled to commence on April 3.
SportsNet LA launched in February 2014 as part of the Dodgers’ exclusive local rights deal with TWC. Time Warner Cable holds a 25-year deal, from 2014 to 2038, for the Dodgers’ media rights in an agreement worth $8.35bn (€7.6bn).
However, TWC has been engaged in a long-running dispute with other operators over distribution of SportsNet LA meaning that the channel’s reach has been restricted. TWC has now said “we don’t expect any other distributors to carry SNLA by Opening Day.” It added that fans who want to watch the Dodgers on the regional sports network “need to switch to Time Warner Cable, Charter or Bright House Networks.”
In a statement, Manfred said yesterday (Wednesday): “The distribution dispute involving DirecTV, AT&T, Cox and Verizon has gone on too long. The Dodgers' massive fan base deserves to be able to watch Dodger games regardless of their choice of provider. The situation is particularly acute given that this is Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully's final season. Time Warner has made a significant economic move that I hope will be accepted by the providers.”
Garcetti added: “Dodger fans across L.A. deserve to watch our team play — not just subscribers to one cable system, but everyone who bleeds Dodger blue. Over the last few years, I have met with carriers and repeatedly called on them to end the unfortunate stalemate that has prevented Angelenos from seeing their beloved team. I am hopeful that we are close to breaking the deadlock and finally doing the right thing for Dodger fans.”
A Cox spokesman told Deadline that broadly speaking the company still hopes for a deal “that does not burden our customers with excessive price increases.”