Dodgers TV network reaches deal to show games in LA area
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Whenever the baseball season begins, Los Angeles Dodgers fans who subscribe to DirecTV and its subsidiaries will have access to the team’s regional sports network after a deal ended a nearly seven-year stalemate.
Spectrum Networks said it began delivering Spectrum SportsNet LA to AT&T video subscribers on Wednesday, the same day the deal was announced. The agreement means AT&T TV, DirecTV, U-verse TV and AT&T Now customers in Southern California, Las Vegas and Hawaii will gain access to Dodgers games.
“Working together with AT&T, we were able to reach an agreement to offer the region’s most popular teams to local fans across AT&T’s video platforms,” said Dan Finnerty, senior vice president of Spectrum Networks.
The Dodgers launched their network in 2014, but faced pushback from pay TV providers over its cost, which kept the team’s games from being seen in most of Los Angeles. KTLA-TV stepped in to simulcast several games for the last four years.
During the coronavirus pandemic, SportsNet LA is airing original shows and studio programming as well as key games from recent years.
Once Major League Baseball and the NBA begin play, Dodgers and Los Angeles Lakers games will be available on all of AT&T’s video platforms.
“I’m very pleased that Spectrum Sports and AT&T have reached this agreement,” Mayor Eric Garcetti said.
Dodgers president and CEO Stan Kasten said, “I want to thank AT&T and Spectrum Networks for coming together on this agreement.”
