Dodgers News: SportsNet LA Likely Won’t Be Offered ‘A La Carte’

Los Angeles Dodgers fans without Time Warner Cable are starting to feel nervous about being able to watch their team during the season.

SportsNet LA, the new Dodgers’ channel, is set to debut in a week and only those with Time Warner Cable will be able to watch the channel as of now. Time Warner Cable has been working and negotiating with other cable providers in order for the channel to be distributed all over.

According to Joe Flint of the LA Times, a pay-for-play type service may not be in the cards for single subscribers:

Given the high price that Time Warner Cable is seeking, it would be reasonable to ask that only those families who truly want to pay for the Dodgers actually pay for it, said DirecTV’s York, whose company has 1.2 million subscribers in the region.

SportsNet LA’s response: A la carte is ‘not really on the table’, Rone said.

The idea of full distribution is ideal for SportsNet LA, but an option to buy-in on the channel if a deal isn’t made could serve as a reasonable alternative. It seems as if that is unlikely, though. Time Warner Cable is focused more on pressuring the distributors with their #ineedmydodgers campaign. In order to not miss any regular season games, the cable providers would need to make a deal before March 22 when the Dodgers open up the season in Australia against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Without a deal, most fans won’t be able to catch their team until March 30 when they’re on ESPN against the San Diego Padres. Not only will SportsNet LA be the only place to see Dodger games, but it will also be a place to find feature shows on the team, player profiles and historical content.

Time is running out for SportsNet LA and many hope that it’ll all be resolved in order to watch the Dodgers.

______________________________________________________________________________

ICYMI: Here’s the Dodgers Nation Week In Review Video