Fans Furious Over Dodgers Opening Day TV Blackout
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) - Many Dodgers fans were furious after the much-anticipated season opener Monday against the San Diego Padres was blacked out on ESPN.
Cable subscribers across the U.S. - including in the San Diego market - were able to watch the game, except for those in the Los Angeles area who don't have Time Warner Cable (TWC) as their cable provider.
An ESPN spokesman told the Los Angeles Times "the blackout is required by the sports networks' contract with Major League Baseball."
"There are certain times that ESPN can 'co-exist' with Time Warner Cable coverage in the L.A. market, but that is limited to ten games," the source was quoted as saying by The Times.
TWC is now in its third year as the main broadcaster of L.A.'s baseball team, and it doesn't seem as if the cable company will be striking a deal any time soon.
Local sportswriters and Dodger fans took to social media to vent their outrage.
The cable company's negotiations stem from a monthly coverage charge: even though TWC has offered to lower their prices on the channel, DirecTV feels that non-Dodger fans will refuse to pay the extra money for the channel.
With the inability to strike a deal any time soon, it looks as if Dodger fans are going to be left in the dark yet again, and miss the beloved Vin Scully's final season.
