Want to see the 2014 Dodgers on TV? Even if you're in LA, you might not be able to...

[Dan Druff]

Why do the Dodgers have so much money? Why did Magic Johnson's Guggenheim Group buy the Dodgers for a ridiculous $2.3 billion? How could the group have any money left over after such a hefty purchase?

The answer is simple: Their television deal.

The Dodgers signed an $8 billion deal with Time Warner, giving them rights to broadcast the games. The deal lasts a staggering 25 years. The Dodgers are handing $2 billion of it back to Major League Baseball, as part of revenue sharing.

Even though it's a 25 year deal, that still adds up to $320 million per year.

So how could a local cable channel be worth $320 million per year to Time Warner?

They think it is because live sports is virtually the only "DVR-proof" form of programming left these days. Everyone wants to watch sports live, which means they are stuck watching commercials. Most other programs have a large percentage of their audience recording the show and watching it later, fast forwarding the commercials.

Thus, Time Warner can charge a lot more to the sponsors, because their ads will actually be seen.

Furthermore, the Dodgers are a hot commodity (especially with a deep-pocketed ownership group), and therefore people will demand to see the games on TV. Time Warner planned to create a Dodgers-only cable channel (called Sportsnet LA), and charge cable/satellite providers a fortune to carry it.

This same situation played out with the Lakers in 2012, who now have their own dedicated Time Warner channel. For other providers to carry the channel, they had to agree to put it on basic cable (guaranteeing a very high number of subscribers) and fork over a lot of money -- about $4 per month per subscriber. The subscribers did not pay for this directly, but they paid through higher rates. Some other providers balked at this, causing some Lakers fans to miss games early in the 2012-13 season.

Now Time Warner wants $5-$8 for the Dodgers' new channel. They are carrying all spring training games (starting 2/25), but so far not a single outside provider has agreed to carry the channel.

It is possible that the Dodgers will begin the season with zero providers carrying Sportsnet LA other than Time Warner, meaning that many people (including me) will miss the televised early-season games.

Time Warner has put out a propaganda website (essentially a petition): http://ineedmydodgers.com

However, I actually understand why the cable companies are balking. The Dodgers and Lakers alone will end up costing each subscriber over $100 per year, and that doesn't include other teams such as the Angels, Kings (hockey), and Clippers, all of whom have smaller (but probably soon-to-be-rising) deals. This is basically legal extortion, as the public gets mad at the cable companies for not carrying the games, rather than Time Warner.

[Walter Sobchak]

Mergers reducing competition, ownership of content by distributors, telecoms in bed with "regulators" = GG consumers

[BeerAndPoker]

They will work out some deal in the last day or two because holding out in hopes of a better deal is what cable companies do, then gradually will pass on increases to the consumer.

[Sanlmar]

Very soon in a galaxy close to us sports content will be streamed to your computer via interweb and HDMI or similar magic to the big screen tv.

Obv paid subscription.

I have cable in my death pool.

I am continually struck by how many young 20 something kids who are moving out into their first place tell me they don't have cable tv. They have no use for it they say.

I am listening.

[lvpkr1009]

Very soon in a galaxy close to us sports content will be streamed to your computer via interweb and HDMI or similar magic to the big screen tv.

Obv paid subscription.

I have cable in my death pool.

I am continually struck by how many young 20 something kids who are moving out into their first place tell me they don't have cable tv. They have no use for it they say.

I am listening.

I would take every bit I'm paying for DISH (close to 100) and pay that same price per month to get nothing but the four major sports, college hoops, espn, and the other sports networks and fuck the other channels

[Deal]

Baseball is basically the only sport where listening on the radio is a legit option. I remember as a child listening to Ernie Harwell broadcast Detroit Tiger games and preferred it to sitting downstairs in a smoke filled room watching a small black and white TV which was getting it's signal from 70 miles away over rabbit ears.

[lvpkr1009]

Baseball is basically the only sport where listening on the radio is a legit option. I remember as a child listening to Ernie Harwell broadcast Detroit Tiger games and preferred it to sitting downstairs in a smoke filled room watching a small black and white TV which was getting it's signal from 70 miles away over rabbit ears.

I love baseball on radio as well and other than replays it's way cooler to listen to a game than watch it on TV IMO.

Living in Vegas we get dodgers, angels, a's and giants games on the local sports networks but was considering getting the mlb audio package just to listen to whatever games I want since the nazis at dish don't offer extra innings

[bukowski72]

I think this is a bad deal for Time Warner. More and more people DVR sports. I know a lot of people who DVR the game and start watching an hour or so after the game starts and skip all the commercials and halftime.

[Sanlmar]

It's 18 degrees outside. I will not see my lawn til April.

Dodgers vs Diamondbacks on MLBN

Vin Scully calling the game.

Clayton Kershaw getting some work.

Even have Puig in lineup.

I can't even imagine watching baseball in the sun.

[ErickAA]

It's 18 degrees outside. I will not see my lawn til April.

Dodgers vs Diamondbacks on MLBN

Vin Scully calling the game.

Clayton Kershaw getting some work.

Even have Puig in lineup.

I can't even imagine watching baseball in the sun.

I have DirecTV and live in Los Angeles, and the game was blacked out. I had to go through this shit with the Lakers a couple years ago and i guess I am going to have to go through it now with the Dodgers. Sigh.

[ErickAA]

I think this is a bad deal for Time Warner. More and more people DVR sports. I know a lot of people who DVR the game and start watching an hour or so after the game starts and skip all the commercials and halftime.

I think with baseball especially, people have it on in the background when they are doing other stuff and occasionally tune in. This is pretty much what I do, and I don't change channel during commercials. The game on in the background at the bar or casino is probably the same dynamic. I think this is ok with advertisers as we are subliminally being exposed to the advertisements even if not always actively watching them.


I doubt a lot of people in 2014 sit down with a beer and sit though a 2+ hour baseball game anyways, DVR or no DVR.

[Sanlmar]

Spot on. I hardly watched the game. Was curious about Kershaw and the Australia road trip.

More than anything I needed Vin Scully's voice in background to ease my seasonal depression.