Editorials

Commissioner Rob Manfred Discusses Dodgers TV Situation

Rob Manfred

While the Los Angeles Dodgers have gotten off to a good start on the field, their situation off the field remains an issue.



The Dodgers cannot be seen by 70 percent of the Los Angeles market because of Time Warner Cable’s struggles to get other providers to carry the channel, SportsNet LA. This is the second year of SportsNet LA, yet most fans have yet to see a game on the channel. While the Dodgers and TWC are working towards making a deal, they have faced plenty of issues in their attempts.

Now, the commissioner of the MLB, Rob Manfred, is weighing in on the situation via Bill Shaikin and Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times:

I’m hopeful the merger issue gets resolved one way or another to create some flexibility that gets the Dodgers full distribution. I think it’s really, really important for the fans in L.A. I’ve talked to anybody and everybody I can think of, including the mayor of L.A., about trying to get something done, but it’s one of those issues where we don’t even have a seat at the table, so it’s hard to effectuate a particular result.”

Manfred said he’s had discussions with LA Mayor Eric Garcetti, but they can’t do much for the Dodgers and their fans because of the impending mergers:

I think it’s not uncommon, when you have the kind of merger activity that you have there, that business issues can slow things down,” Manfred told reporters before the Angels played in Seattle on Wednesday.

Recently, Dodgers chairman Mark Walter said that the team is working hard for a deal, but that the mergers are making any deals difficult. It may take a few more months for the mergers to finalize, meaning the Dodger fans could have to wait a bit longer to see their team.

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Vincent Samperio

Vince is currently the Associate Editor and Social Media Manager for Dodgers Nation. Hailing from San Pedro, CA and a student at Cal State Long Beach, Vince has previously written for the Daily 49er and LASF Magazine.

16 Comments

  1. As a lifelong fan, I have been “with” the team longer than anyone in Dodgers ownership. That being said, I really don’t feel that we fans are truly getting any real help from Time Warner where broadcasting the games is concerned. It’s time to stop counting your money TW and give us fans back our team’s broadcasts! We have been much more than patient and this is just ridiculous.

    1. If I remember correctly, TW is merging with Comcast. And AT&T is merging/acquiring DirecTV. Might want to double check, but I’m assuming that’s the “mergers” Manfred and everyone else is referring too

  2. I think this whole situation is just lip service. TWC is holding fans hostage. Period the end. The merger is at least 4-6 months away from completion at best and does MLB really think that as soon as a merger is done, the LA fans are next. What a joke. MLB, why not lift the ban on the MLB.com app for the LA fans. Give us a bone already. Sucks to see the LA game blacked out on ESPN 2 last night. Why? Oh yeah, because of greedy TWC. Such crap. It is clear the fan is getting taken for a fool in this case. It’s becoming harder and harder to stay a fan when everyone is just sitting back counting the dollars made in this deal. BS that everyone cares about the fans. I call B.S. on this.

    1. I was furious too when espn2 was blacked out. Like, they are really fvcking Dodger fan hard. It suprised me. Last season that game would be visible to the Dodgers fan naked eye, but not no more.

  3. These aholes had almost 6 months to do somthing and chose not to talk. Time/Warner can kiss my ass. There shouldn’t be a merger either. Enough of these corporate monopolies. The public always gets screwed when there is no competition.
    Mainstream media is nothing but monopolies and that’s why when watching the news all networks will cut away from “real” news to tell us that Kim Kardashian’s ass got even bigger. Corporations take the soul from everything they touch. Can anyone tell me one thing they’ve done to make things better so much better? Look at sports, film, education, politics, agriculture, the environment, and what about Music. OMGawd today artists are not developed, they’re manufactured, and it’s Gawddamn horrible. Corporations just take the soul from everything…prove me wrong.

    If the commisonor of baseball “can’t do anything” why have a commisonor? Why not just have the head of Time/Warner or Walmart run the league for fuck’s sakes. Can’t be worse.

    Dear Dodgers, don’t you worry, I’ll never buy another game ticket, jersey, b-ball cap, nothing and nada. Signed, Fan since 1969. Highly saddened and angry. Shame on you.

    P.S. Is this how Brooklyn felt? You know stabbed in the heart? You greedy fuckers.

  4. The only bright side to this mess is TWC is losing money on the deal because of low viewership and soon will lose even more when sponsors pull out because of low viewership. Maybe next year!

  5. On the bright side, TWC is losing money on the deal because of low viewership. How long will their sponsors pay for commercial nobody sees?

  6. It’s pathetic. MLB should lift the blackout for MLB.tv in the greater LA area until the situation is resolved. TWC is loosing, but by lifting the black out at least they are getting eye balls on their channel so when it does finally arrive across Directv etc people will know what the crap it is.

  7. So far fans in Las Vegas have been able to see all the Dodger games so far. Both the Padres & Diamondback games are televised here on Cox cable. We’ll get to see the Dodgers again this weekend against the DBacks. It’s a shame because each season a new young group of kids start playing Little League and getting interested in Baseball. Now they’ll only know the Padres & the DBacks and they form lifelong loyalties to one of them. The Dodgers lose 2 years full of new fans who’ll spread the word of their team to their friends and family. TWC is messing with the public.

  8. Last year TWC included Sports Net in their basic (starter) plan @ less than $30. This year you have to upgrade to the Standard plan (200 channels) plus a receiver fee and taxes which puts the cost @ $52 for 1 television. Sticking it to the people who are fortunate enough to have the choice of switching cable providers. Outrageous!!

  9. I say start boycotting Dodgers games .we found that’s one way to make these fat cats take note. turn in all your season tickets. if all they care about is money and not the fans ,the fans got to unite and stick to the new guys like they did to the Mccourts!

  10. There is only one steward of Dodger fans – Guggenheim Pratners. All other companies could give a crap about Dodger fans.. nor should they. Only Guggenheim is responsible to Dodger fans and we see how that has gone.

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