Dodgers' New TV Deal Ends 6-Year Blackout

Dodgers' New TV Deal Ends 6-Year Blackout

Apr 1, 2019; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder Cody Bellinger (35) is interviewed by Spectrum SportsNet LA. reporter Alanna Rizzo before the game against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

No joke. This is not an April Fool's Day prank. The Dodgers seven-year cable television nightmare is over.

What started with the club signing a 25-year, $8 billion TV deal with what was then Time Warner Cable in 2013 has ended in a new carriage deal between Spectrum Networks and AT&T. In English that means that DirecTV and U-Verse-TV customers are in like Flint. The Dodgers' SportsNet LA channel will be available to all who want it.

That means pre-game shows, post-game shows, live game telecasts and a whole lotta Alanna Rizzo, Jerry Hairston, Jr., Joe Davis, Orel Hershiser and Nomar Garciaparra. It also means a bleepload more coverage of the 1988 World Series than you can probably stomach. But that's a small price to pay, it seems to me. Now all you need is a regular season, which I'm confident will happen. Eventually.

Some quotes from the Dodgers' press release:

Dan Finnerty, Senior Vice President, Spectrum Networks.“This agreement underscores our commitment to provide all Dodgers fans the opportunity to enjoy our award-winning programming and live game coverage. Working together with AT&T, we were able to reach an agreement to offer the region’s most popular teams to local fans across AT&T’s video platforms.”

Stan Kasten, President & CEO, Los Angeles Dodgers.: “As anxious as we all are for the ongoing pandemic to end and for the 2020 season to begin, we now have even more reason to be excited because this agreement will make Dodger baseball games and programming available for our fans on Spectrum, AT&T TV, DIRECTV, U-verse TV, and AT&T TV NOW. I want to thank AT&T and Spectrum Networks for coming together on this agreement. We are eager to get this season started once it is deemed safe to do so everywhere.”

Eric Garcetti, Mayor of Los Angeles: "Our city has the best sports fans in the world, and they want to enjoy all of the excitement and tradition that Dodger games bring to Los Angeles. I’m very pleased that Spectrum Sports and AT&T have reached this agreement, which will bring Dodger games into the homes of AT&T TV, DIRECTV, U-verse TV and AT&T TV NOW customers when the season begins and give more Angelenos the chance to cheer for our favorite team all the way to the World Series."

This is great, great, great news, people. If you want to hold a grudge against the Dodgers for the seven years of National League West winning baseball that you missed, that's your decision. I say let's move forward, turn off the COVID-19 news and tune on DirecTV channel 690 right now (with AT&T and AT&T TV Now beginning April 8). Games from seasons past -- with Vin Scully at the mic -- are available for your viewing pleasure. It's time for Dodgers baseball, Los Angeles. Why not you pull up a chair, and spend part of your Wednesday afternoon with us.

And remember, glove conquers all.

Howard Cole has been writing about baseball on the internet since Y2K. Follow him on Twitter.