Standoff over Dodgers games could be defining moment in sports TV

Most local fans are still unable to watch Los Angeles Dodgers games on TV. No progress has been made in the standoff between Time Warner Cable, which is distributing the new Dodgers-owned channel SportsNet LA, and area pay-TV providers including DirecTV, Dish Network, Charter Communications and Cox Communications.

Time Warner Cable and the providers are deadlocked in what could become a definitive moment for the world of sports programming, as the industry realizes that exorbitantly priced television deals can backfire. Executives at DirecTV, Cox and other distributors contend that Time Warner Cable's price for the sports channel is too high and would force them to charge consumers, many of whom are not sports fans, even more for their pay-TV packages. Distributors have said they are willing to carry SportsNet LA on a specialty tier along with other more expensive channels or even offer it on an individual or a la carte basis. Time Warner Cable wants SportsNet LA to be mandatory for all pay-TV subscribers, which is how regional sports networks have been traditionally sold including those owned by DirecTV. By being in every home, a network has a greater opportunity for higher ratings and ad revenue than when it is in limited distribution.