Loaded with a talented roster and revamped front office, the Los Angelees Dodgers again faced high expectations this season. They also played another year in which distribution of Time Warner Cable’s SportsNet LA remained a talking point.
The lucrative 25-year contract between the Dodgers and TWC, making the cable giant the exclusive home for one of baseball’s premier franchises, was met by pushback from others in the industry.
Most notably with DirecTV, Dish Network and Verizon FiOS remaining at odds with TWC over terms to distribute SportsNet LA.
While there was some optimism with Charter Communication’s proposed acquisition to acquire TWC which is currently being reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission, it wasn’t enough to end the impasse.
As that lingers on, TWC Sports President David Rone is leaving the company, according to Meg James of the LA Times:
Time Warner Cable Sports President David B. Rone is leaving the company after a tumultuous period attempting to win wider distribution for SportsNet LA, the cable channel owned by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The perception painted by some cable providers SNLA is hardly desired by their customers was proven untrue in July when TWC recorded significant increases in viewership after Charter began distribution.
Ratings grew 81 percent over a span of 30 games in which SNLA was carried by Charter, household ratings increased from .63 to 1.14, and total viewers jumped 77 percent.
While the Dodgers and TWC continue to fight public perception they are solely to blame for the TV impasse, the hope remains once Charter’s proposed acquisition of TWC is approved, more distribution deals will be struck.
Along with being available to TWC and Charter customers, SportsNet LA is also carried by Bright House Networks.
