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Hunter103 wrote:This better be available outside of the LA area

“This long-term agreement represents a huge win for all Lakers fans, providing destination channels, more content and more platforms for the Lakers, one of the premier brands in professional sports today,” said Glenn Britt, Time Warner Cable’s Chairman and CEO.

There promises to be greater Lakers coverage with the new networks, which will be available to all providers in existing Lakers country, such as Southern California, Nevada and Hawaii. Besides the games, the networks would have other original Lakers programming.

Time Warner’s announcement promoted the following for Lakers fans:

* A single destination where Lakers fans can find all locally-televised home and away games and a variety of new and original Lakers’ content featuring behind-the-scenes, personality and classic programming.
* All Lakers games will be produced in high definition, with state-of-the-art technology and high production values in English & Spanish. The Spanish-language channel is a stand alone RSN with its own dedicated production of game telecasts and other unique content tailored to Spanish speaking Lakers fans – not SAP feed.

* All games will feature pre- and post-game shows produced separately in both English and Spanish.

* A Lakers news and magazine show throughout the season.

* Joint community-relations initiatives.

* New online and on-demand multi-platform content featuring the Lakers.

Hunter103 wrote:This better be available outside of the LA area

laduane1 wrote:I just hope it will be a channel that will be able to get to without more price increases. Taking away from the free TV seems a little harse. Why can they not share it with the main channel. I have Time Warner so it is not a big deal unless it is on a high end tier.

Time will settle many questions.

What about Dish Network, AT & T and Virzon.. You can not cut that many systems off. Million of people will get shafted. More answers as they come I hope.

dcash4 wrote:

laduane1 wrote:I just hope it will be a channel that will be able to get to without more price increases. Taking away from the free TV seems a little harse. Why can they not share it with the main channel. I have Time Warner so it is not a big deal unless it is on a high end tier.

Time will settle many questions.

What about Dish Network, AT & T and Virzon.. You can not cut that many systems off. Million of people will get shafted. More answers as they come I hope.

thats not really an issue. think of the new channel like tbs and tnt, channels also run by time warner.

LAKESHOW wrote:it was just reported, a 20 year deal with 30mil per?

wow, now thats a deal that cannot be turned down.

Yesterday Joe Flint of the LOS ANGELES TIMES and this morning John Ourand of SPORTS BUSINESS DAILY reported the Lakers have agreed to a 20-year local broadcast rights agreement with Time Warner Cable for an eye-popping $3 billion.

Though Flint also reported that Time Warner officials “dismisssed” the $3 billion figure, I’ve been told by multiple sources with knowledge of the negotiations today that that number is accurate, with one source noting to me that the reported $3 billion number “may actually be conservative.”

While this is big news for Lakers fans, the more important part of this story is what it will mean to the ownership of the team.

From Flint:

Witmer said the move to get into business with the Lakers is part of its overall desire to “control our economic destiny.”

Translation: Lakers Owner Jerry Buss now officially has the financial wherewithal to transfer the franchise to his children - who currently run the team’s day-to-day operation.

In 2009, Buss told L.A. Times Magazine:

“It’s a severe economic issue for me. It’s an ongoing one, and I’m addressing it as best I can. I’m prepaying the taxes, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I live long enough to accomplish the whole thing.”

Ironic in that, god forbid, had Buss died in 2010 there would’ve been no inheritance tax. But since that loophole has now closed, Buss needed TWC’s enormous cash infusion to ensure the Lakers would stay in the Buss family.

With that in mind, if paying a little more for cable means the Lakers live on as a Buss production, most Lakers fans I know here in L.A. view that as a bargain.