Dodgers News: SportsNet LA Channel Launching February 25

While there’s a lot of excitement surrounding the Los Angeles Dodgers on the field, it’s their new SportsNet LA channel on Time Warner Cable that has fans excited about wall-to-wall coverage.

After the 2013 season ended, the Dodgers cut ties with KCAL and Fox Sports as they entered into a 25-year, $6 billion contract to start this season. While there hasn’t been an official announcement about the deal being done and when the network will launch, a billboard was spotted on the 405 freeway in LA via Tom Hoffarth of the LA Daily News:

https://twitter.com/tomhoffarth/status/421080153423245312

The Dodgers have done a great job in assembling talent for the new network, hiring Nomar Garciaparra and Orel Hershiser away from ESPN and Jerry Hairston Jr., retired to become an analyst. Alanna Rizzo will join the team as a host/reporter from MLB Network while ABC 7 anchor John Hartung will also reportedly join the network.

Like the Lakers channel on Time Warner Cable SportsNet, the Dodgers will have an exclusive channel filled with variety shows and coverage of all things to do with the organization. However, it sounds like the billboard was a bit premature according to Hoffarth:

We’re pleased about the excitement it generated, but we have asked the Clear Channel billboard operators to take it down until we are ready to start the campaign, Lon Rosen, the Dodgers head of marketing, said this morning. This isn’t a campaign where we were trying to leak the information out and stir up interest.

Oops. Dodger fans are certainly excited about the new channel and will be counting down the days until the supposed launch of the network in close to two weeks. An official announcement should be made from both sides in the coming weeks as Spring Training is just one month away and the start of the season not too far behind.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

ICYMI: The Dodgers and Don Mattingly agreed to a three-year extension