Time Warner Cable's SportsNet LA on Friday announced its "new lineup of programming" for the Dodgers, featuring "a documentary series, live studio show, game coverage and player interviews," according to Debbie Emery of the HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. TWC Sports Communications Manager Amy Millstone said, "All the programming on SportsNet LA will be original and produced in-house." She added Dodgers programming will not end after the season, as "SportsNet LA will continue to produce original shows during the offseason as well." Emery noted fans will "get an inside look" into RF Yasiel Puig's locker or check out CF Matt Kemp at practice in the show "Backstage: Dodgers." They also will "be able to sound off with the Dodger nation through 'Lead-Off L.A.,' a social media-driven show, or get the lowdown on the front office with 'Dodgers Clubhouse,' featuring interviews" with manager Don Mattingly. "Access SportsNet: Dodgers" is the "flagship live daily show running from spring training to the season's finale, hosted by John Hartung and featuring commentary from analysts Orel Hershiser, Nomar Garciaparra, Jerry Hairston Jr., and in-game reporter Alanna Rizzo." Those who "miss a game will get the chance to watch them reaired, or fans in a time crunch can get the one-hour condensed version" in "Dodgers Squeeze Play." The SportsNet LA format "follows in the footsteps "of the Lakers channel, TWC SportsNet, which was "launched with a 20-year deal to carry the franchise's broadcasts and develop programming around the team" (HOLLYWOODREPORTER.com, 2/14).
THREE STRIKES, YOU'RE OUT: In L.A., Joe Flint reports "hundreds of thousands could miss out" on watching the Dodgers on TV this season because of a "skirmish" between SportsNet LA and local pay-TV distributors. SportsNet LA has "yet to sign agreements that would make it available in the majority" of L.A. pay-TV homes. Dodgers games prior to this season were available in L.A. "on local television station" KCAL-CBS and Prime Ticket, an RSN owned by Fox Sports. Now, for the "first time in the team's history, none of the team's games will be available on free, over-the-air television." TWC is "optimistic that it will have wide distribution by the time the Dodgers' regular season starts" March 22. But that "may be wishful thinking." Many distributors "are upset about being pressured to carry a new sports network in a region that already has several similar channels," including FS Prime Ticket, FS West, Pac-12 Network, TWC SportsNet and TWC Deportes. Cox Communications Senior VP/Content Acquisition Andy Albert said, "It is really hard to understand why everyone needs their own channel when they didn't need one before." Flint notes those channels, along with ESPN, "cost customers as much as $20 a month whether they watch them or not." Sources said that a condition of the Dodgers deal is that TWC "has to cover the subscription fees for any distributor that does not sign on to carry the network" (L.A. TIMES, 2/18).
FEELING BLUE: In this week's SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, John Ourand notes SportsNet LA is "rolling out its biggest marketing push yet around the channel." The campaign "breaks in full this week and includes TV, radio, digital, billboards and print." The campaign "soft launched last month with some billboards" in the L.A. area. It uses Puig and Dodgers P Clayton Kershaw to "create awareness around the channel, which launches" Feb. 25. The campaign is "slated to run through mid-March." The marketing campaign is "similar to the one the Lakers used two years ago when they launched" TWC SportsNet. TWC "spent millions of dollars on that effort, and this one is believed to cost as much." The campaign "focuses on current Dodgers stars, though it also will highlight big moments from the team’s history, such as Kirk Gibson’s game-winning home run in the 1988 World Series and Fernando Valenzuela’s 1990 no-hitter" (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 2/17 issue).
