Spectrum SportsNet (Los Angeles)

Spectrum SportsNet, formerly Time Warner Cable SportsNet (abbreviated as TWC SportsNet), is an American regional sports cable and satellite television network that is owned by Charter Communications through its acquisition of Time Warner Cable in May 2016, with the Los Angeles Lakers maintaining editorial control over the content, including team-assigned reporters and anchors, as well as team-related programming.[1] The network is based near the Lakers' team headquarters in the Los Angeles suburb of El Segundo, California.

Not to be confused with Spectrum SportsNet LA, its sister network in the Los Angeles area.
For other similarly-named regional sports networks owned by Charter Communications, see Spectrum Sports.
Spectrum SportsNet
CountryUnited States
Broadcast areaSouthern California
Central California
Las Vegas Valley
Hawaii
Nationwide (via satellite)
HeadquartersEl Segundo, California
Programming
Language(s)English
Spanish (via SAP)
Picture format1080i (HDTV)
480i (SDTV)
Ownership
OwnerCharter Communications (50%)
Los Angeles Lakers (50%)
Sister channelsSportsNet LA
History
LaunchedOctober 1, 2012 (2012-10-01)
Former namesTime Warner Cable SportsNet and Time Warner Cable Deportes (2012–2016)
Spectrum Deportes (2016–2018)
Links
WebsiteSpectrum SportsNet.com
Availability
Cable
Charter SpectrumChannels 41 & 430 (SD)
Channel 787 (HD)
TWC SpectrumChannels 38 & 318 (HD)
Cox CommunicationsOrange County and Santa Barbara:
Channel 65 (SD)
Channel 1065 (HD)
San Diego:
Channel 71 (SD)
Channel 1071 (HD)
Las Vegas:
Channel 66 (SD)
Channel 1066 (HD)
Satellite
DirecTVChannel 691 (HD/SD)
IPTV
AT&T U-verseChannel 777 (SD)
Channel 1777 (HD)
AT&T TVChannel 691 (HD)
Streaming media
AT&T TV NowInternet Protocol television

Spectrum SportsNet[2] launched at 7:00 p.m. Pacific Time on October 1, 2012.[3] Spectrum SportsNet serves the Los Angeles and San Diego metropolitan areas, the Coachella Valley, the Central Coast of California, Las Vegas, and Hawaii.

Lakers game broadcasts serve as the centerpiece for the network. Spectrum SportsNet has been the exclusive home of all Lakers games that are not televised nationally since the 2012–13 NBA season. Other sports events aired on the network include Los Angeles Galaxy soccer and Los Angeles Sparks basketball games.

Spectrum Deportes (formerly Time Warner Cable Deportes, abbreviated as TWC Deportes), which was the first Spanish language Regional Sports Network in the U.S. at launch, was shut down on August 15, 2018 citing a lack of viewership.[4]

Game broadcasts are carried in high definition in English. A Spanish language audio track is provided for all Lakers and Galaxy games via the second audio program function available on most television sets and cable receiver boxes. A Korean language audio track has been provided via the second audio program from 2012 to 2018; as a result, Spectrum SportsNet was the first English-language television network to offer Asian-language play-by-play audio of sporting events.[5]

On April 1, 2020, it was announced that along with its sister station (SportsNet LA), Spectrum SportsNet would be added to AT&T's streaming platforms (AT&T TV and AT&T TV NOW) joining DIRECTV and AT&T U-verse which already carried the channel. The channel was officially added to customers with the CHOICE package or higher on the morning of April 8, 2020.

History

Los Angeles Lakers

On February 14, 2011, the Lakers and Time Warner Cable signed a $3 billion, 20-year cable television agreement which took effect in the fall of 2012.[6] The network televises every Laker game not designated for an exclusive broadcast by either ABC, ESPN or TNT. The new venture ended long-standing broadcast partnerships with KCAL-TV (channel 9), which (dating back to its days as KHJ-TV) had televised the Lakers' road games since the 1977–78 season; and with Fox Sports West, which in all of its incarnations had broadcast the team's home games since the 1985–86 season. The Lakers joined a growing list of NBA franchises that have abandoned over-the-air local telecasts in favor of their games being available exclusively on cable and satellite. Besides live games, the network also feature a team news magazine program, classic games, profiles of Laker players past and present, and exclusive video-on-demand content that is available both online and on television.[7]

As part of the agreement with Time Warner, the team stated that it would work with the cable provider to ensure that other providers within the Lakers' designated broadcast territory (parts of Southern California, including the San Diego, Palm Springs and Santa Barbara markets, as well as Southern Nevada and Hawaii) would have access to the network. As of 2012, the only television providers that does not carry the channel are satellite provider Dish, cable company Comcast serving Northern Santa Barbara County, and IPTV's CenturyLink Prism TV serving Las Vegas Valley. Frontier FiOS carried the channel until 2019. Time Warner offers the channel for $3.95 a subscriber, comparable to other regional sports networks, but other providers were concerned that this cost could increase substantially should the Los Angeles Dodgers begin carrying their games on Time Warner Cable SportsNet;[8] while Time Warner Cable did later reach a 25-year agreement with the Dodgers, the provider created a separate channel, SportsNet LA, to carry that team's games and other Dodgers-related programming.

Los Angeles Galaxy

On November 18, 2011, Time Warner Cable Sports announced a broadcast rights agreement with the MLS' Los Angeles Galaxy[9] a ten-year deal starting with the 2012 season in which the team will be paid $55 million during the contractual period. The network will televise all Galaxy matches that are not televised on a national network, and will also broadcast matches involving non-MLS opponents. Similar to the agreement with the Lakers, the Galaxy also has supplementary programming featured on the networks, including a weekly team magazine, and possible classic matches.

Prior to the network launch, Anaheim-based independent station KDOC-TV (channel 56) televised 18 Galaxy matches for the 2012 MLS season, with production handled by Time Warner Cable SportsNet.[10] The new network then televised the remainder of the Galaxy's schedule beginning in October 2012. (KDOC also televised select matches featuring the Galaxy's former stadium-mate and crosstown rival, Chivas USA, until that team was folded after the 2014 season.) Much like the Lakers, the Galaxy formerly maintained a long-standing broadcast agreement with Fox Sports West and Prime Ticket.

Los Angeles Sparks

On March 14, 2012, it was announced that the channel had signed a multi-year deal with the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks franchise.[11] Although the deal was reported as being non-exclusive, all of the televised games during the 2013 season aired on TWC SportsNet, except for those that were nationally broadcast on ABC, ESPN or ESPN2 (as with the Galaxy, KDOC aired the 2012 schedule in preparation for the launch of the new channels).

Since the 2018 WNBA Season, because of the Las Vegas Aces hold territorial rights for all of Southern Nevada, Los Angeles Sparks games are blacked out in the Las Vegas Valley on Spectrum SportsNet regardless of the cable or satellite provider, requiring a subscription to the WNBA League Pass out-of-market sports package to view those telecasts. All other sports programming, with the exception of Sparks basketball games carried on Spectrum SportsNet, is available in Southern Nevada.

Los Angeles Dodgers
Main article: Spectrum SportsNet LA

On January 23, 2013, Time Warner Cable and the Los Angeles Dodgers reached a deal to create a new channel called SportsNet LA, which would become the exclusive local carrier of the Major League Baseball franchise's games starting with the 2014 season. Time Warner Cable outbid Fox Sports Net for the contract, which runs for 25 years through 2039 and is estimated to be worth $8.35 billion. At the time of the announcement, the team was supposed to be considering offering a package of games to be aired over Fox Television Stations' two Los Angeles outlets, Fox owned-and-operated station KTTV (channel 11) and MyNetworkTV owned-and-operated station KCOP-TV.[12][13]

Los Angeles Chargers

On August 2, 2018, Spectrum SportsNet announced a content and programming partnership agreement with the NFL's Los Angeles Chargers to deliver a new documentary series, Backstage: Chargers. A bi-weekly all-access half-hour series chronicling the LA Chargers games, players and executives from a behind-the-scenes perspective during the team's season. Bi-weekly episodes will also re-air on the Chargers local TV partner, KCBS-TV (CBS 2) and on Facebook Watch.[14]

Starting with the 2020 NFL Season, because of the Las Vegas Raiders hold territorial rights for all of Southern Nevada, Los Angeles Chargers’ programming and preseason games are blacked out in the Las Vegas Valley on Spectrum SportsNet regardless of the cable or satellite provider.

Other sports programming rights

Spectrum SportsNet also airs live broadcasts of the football and boys' basketball championship games of the California Interscholastic Federation and Los Angeles City Section, the CIF state championship games in boys' and girls' basketball, and the regional and state bowl games in football. It also carries select games of the Lakers-owned NBA G League team, the South Bay Lakers. Spectrum Deportes also aired Pro Footvolley Tour.

For the 2012–13 athletic season, Spectrum SportsNet aired select football and men's basketball games from the Mountain West Conference that were not televised on a national basis; one or both of the teams playing in nearly all of the telecasts that the network aired that season involved the San Diego State Aztecs and the University of Nevada Las Vegas Rebels, both universities are in the network's primary service area. It lost the rights to Mountain West games beginning with the 2013-14 season due to new broadcast agreements signed by the conference; some SDSU games that are not nationally televised are now carried on Fox Sports San Diego, while some UNLV games are seen on AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain.

Since the 2012-13 athletic season, Spectrum SportsNet aired select men's basketball games from the West Coast Conference that were not televised on a national basis. Three universities (Loyola Marymount Lions, Pepperdine Waves, and San Diego Toreros) are in the network's primary service area.

Spectrum SportsNet has also aired the NBC program Poker After Dark and some action sports events, while airs a weekly lucha libre card taped in Mexico City. For the 2014 MLS season, Spectrum Deportes agreed to carry Chivas USA matches in Spanish that are not televised on a national network in their final season before the team disbands.[15]

On-air staff

Current on-air staff
  • Chantelle Anderson – backup Sparks play-by-play
  • Krista Blunk – fill-in Sparks color commentator
  • Mike Bresnahan – Lakers insider/studio analyst
  • Allie Clifton – Lakers and Sparks studio host
  • Michael Cooper – Lakers studio analyst
  • Beto Duran – Lakers, Galaxy, and Sparks fill-in host, South Bay Lakers fill-in play-by-play
  • Jordan Farmar – Lakers studio analyst
  • Derek Fisher – Lakers studio analyst, Sparks head coach
  • Angel Gray – Sparks play-by-play
  • A.C. Green – Lakers studio analyst, South Bay Lakers color commentator
  • Kevin Hartman – Galaxy studio analyst, fill-in color commentator
  • Robert Horry – Lakers studio analyst
  • Samuel Jacobo – Galaxy play-by-play (Spanish)
  • Richard Jefferson – Lakers studio analyst
  • Cobi Jones – Galaxy color commentator
  • Dan Kennedy – Galaxy studio analyst
  • Stu Lantz – Lakers color commentator[16]
  • Bill Macdonald – Lakers play-by-play announcer [16]
  • Adrian Garcia Marquez – Lakers play-by-play (Spanish)
  • Clint Mathis – Galaxy studio analyst, fill-in color commentator
  • Chris McGee – Lakers, Galaxy, and Sparks studio host [17]
  • Mary Murphy – Sparks color commentator
  • Chiney Ogwumike – Lakers studio analyst
  • Candace Parker – Lakers studio analyst
  • Francisco Pinto – Lakers color commentator (Spanish)
  • Megan Reza – Galaxy sideline reporter
  • Eric Rothman — South Bay Lakers play-by-play
  • Steve Sampson – Galaxy studio analyst
  • Elmur Souza – Galaxy sideline reporter (Spanish)
  • Mike Trudell – Lakers sideline reporter
  • Joe Tutino – Galaxy play-by-play
  • Peter Vagenas – Galaxy studio analyst
  • Kirsten Watson – Sparks sideline reporter (home games only), South Bay Lakers sideline reporter
  • James Worthy – Lakers studio analyst [17]
  • Martín "Pulpo" Zúñiga – Galaxy color commentator (Spanish)

Original programming

In addition to live coverage of Lakers, Galaxy, and Sparks games, and their respective pre- and post-game shows, other original programming on Spectrum SportsNet includes:

  • Backstage: Lakers – a weekly half-hour series chronicling Lakers games, players and executives from a behind-the-scenes perspective during the team's season.
  • Backstage: Galaxy – an all-access series chronicling the LA Galaxy, including exclusive interviews, and on- and off-field footage. The series premiered during the Galaxy's 2012 playoff run to the 2012 MLS Cup, and returned in the 2013 to cover the team's season that year from a behind-the-scenes perspective.
  • Backstage: Sparks – a weekly half-hour series chronicling Sparks games, players and executives from a behind-the-scenes perspective during the team's season.
  • Connected With... – a half-hour signature sitdown interview program featuring interviews with professional athletes, sports insiders and Southern California personalities – conducted by sports and entertainment personality Kevin Frazier. Early episodes included interviews with Steve Nash, Landon Donovan, Mitch Kupchak and Dwight Howard.
  • #LakeShow – Lakers daily interactive program where the voice of the fan is heard via social media.
  • Lakers Compacto – an hour-long recap of each Lakers game the day after the game's telecast.
  • Galaxy Compacto – an hour-long recap of each Galaxy game the day after the game's telecast.
  • Laker Girls – a five-episode series documenting the selection process of the Laker Girls for the 2012–13 basketball season.
  • Through the Lens – a look at the Lakers' storied history through the eyes and camera lens of long-time Lakers Team Photographer Andy Bernstein.

Archival programs
  • Timeless Lakers – telecasts of classic LA Lakers games
  • Timeless Galaxy – telecasts of classic LA Galaxy games
  • Lakers Top 10 – an hour-long countdown of the greatest moments in Lakers history.
  • Galaxy Top 10 – a half-hour countdown of the greatest moments in Galaxy history.

References
  1. Time Warner Cable's broadcasts of Lakers games set for tipoff, Los Angeles Times, September 26, 2012.
  2. Time Warner Lakers Broadcast Agreement FAQ's Los Angeles Lakers official site, February 15, 2011.
  3. Time Warner Cable stepping up its game in L.A. sports programming, Los Angeles Times, May 10, 2012.
  4. "Charter to shut down Spectrum Deportes channel in Los Angeles"., Los Angeles Times, July 30, 2018
  5. Time Warner Cable SportsNet to Launch Korean-Language Secondary Audio Programming for Lakers Games Archived 2013-01-25 at Archive.today, The Herald, October 26, 2012.
  6. Flint, Joe (2011-02-14). "Time Warner Cable, Lakers strike 20-year TV deal". LATimes.com. Retrieved 2014-01-17.
  7. Lakers starting networks with Time Warner Cable Orange County Register, February 14, 2011.
  8. Lakers games become can't-watch-TV, Los Angeles Times, October 6, 2012.
  9. LA Galaxy and Time Warner Cable Sports reach 10-year agreement to televise Galaxy games Los Angeles Galaxy official site, November 18, 2011
  10. French, Scott. "Galaxy: KDOC steps in for Time Warner". ESPNLA.com. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
  11. Time Warner Cable Sports Dunks Multiyear Rights Deal with WNBA's LA Sparks Multichannel News, March 14, 2012
  12. Flint, Bill (January 23, 2013). "Dodgers near TV rights deal with Time Warner Cable". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 11, 2013.
  13. Shaikin, Bill (January 24, 2013). "Could Dodgers do TV deals with Fox and Time Warner?". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 11, 2013.
  14. "Los Angeles Chargers and Spectrum SportsNet Partner on New 'Backstage: Chargers' Bi-Weekly Series". chargers.com. August 2, 2018.
  15. "Time Warner Cable Deportes Added as Official Broadcast Partner of Chivas USA Time Warner Cable Deportes se agrega como socio de emisión de Chivas USA". cdchivasusa.com. May 27, 2014. Archived from the original on May 28, 2014. Retrieved May 27, 2014.
  16. Lakers Broadcast Information LA Lakers official site
  17. James Worthy, Chris McGee, Dave Miller and Mike Trudell join Time Warner Cable SportsNet On-Air Team LA Lakers official site
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