On the day the Los Angeles Dodgers opened their 2018 Cactus League slate, SportsNet LA announced five regular-season games will be simulcast on KTLA5. The agreement calls for KTLA to also air SportsNet LA’s flagship pregame show, “Access SportsNet: Dodgers,” prior to every simulcast.
The schedule includes two Friday night games and three on Saturday, beginning with the Dodgers’ home game against the rival San Francisco Giants on Friday, March 30. Dodgers-Giants matchups comprise three of the five-game simulcast.
SportsNet LA previously struck a simulcast agreement with KTLA in 2016, when the local station aired the pregame ceremony to honor now-retired Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully on ‘Vin Scully Appreciation Day’ at Dodger Stadium. That was part of simulcasting the final six games of Scully’s career.
In 2014, SportsNet LA simulcasted the Dodgers’ last six games of the regular season on KDOC, an independent TV station that can be received with an over-the-air antenna and is carried by all providers in Southern California.
SportsNet LA is in its fifth season since launching. Despite the team reaching the World Series last season and their sustained success, pay-TV providers have steadfastly refused to reach carriage agreements for Dodgers’ exclusive network.
Fans who wish to receive 24/7 coverage of the Dodgers are encouraged to switch to Spectrum Networks, as other distributors are not expected to carry the team’s channel this season. In addition, 20 of the Dodgers’ Spring Training games will air live on SportsNet LA.
Complete five-game SportsNet LA simulcast schedule included below. Listed times denote when coverage will begin on KTLA5.
| Day | Date | Time | Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday | March 30 | 6:30 p.m. | vs. Giants |
| Saturday | April 7 | 12:30 p.m. | @ Giants |
| Friday | April 13 | 6:30 p.m. | vs. Diamondbacks |
| Saturday | April 21 | 5:30 p.m. | vs. Nationals |
| Saturday | April 28 | 5:30 p.m. | @ Giants |
