Fox Sports Not Expecting Time Warner, AT&T To Air Padres' Season Opener

In a move designed to “increase pressure on Time Warner Cable and AT&T U-verse,” FS San Diego indicated that it “does not expect either provider to be televising Padres games at the start of the 2012 season,” according to Jay Posner of the SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE. The Padres begin their next Thursday with a 4:05pm PT game against the Dodgers. Fox Sports has “a 20-year agreement to televise Padres games beginning with this season.” The deal has “not been formally approved” by MLB, but the new FS San Diego channel “is proceeding as though it will televise at least 157 games this season.” FS San Diego has reached carriage deals with Cox Communications and DirecTV.TWC Media Relations Manager Ann Kelsey said, “Negotiations are still ongoing. I don’t have much of an update for you.” AT&T could not be reached for comment (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 3/30). TWC’s website states that it “serves more than 200,000 cable customers in the San Diego area” (NBCSANDIEGO.com, 3/29).