Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter’s recent purchase of the Los Angeles Lakers is opening up all sorts of possibilities. Well, maybe.
According to a report by Bill Shaikin in the Los Angeles Times, a joint Dodgers-Lakers channel “could be” a long-term solution for the city’s two preeminent sports franchises. Unfortunately, Shaikin believes any form of merger “appears unlikely any time soon.”
Dodgers games currently air on SportsNet LA while Lakers games air on Spectrum SportsNet. Spectrum SportsNet is owned by Charter Communications. SportsNet LA is owned by the Dodgers, though Charter operates the station.
Hypothetically, Walter could buyout Charter from Spectrum SportsNet, but he has little incentive to do so. Charter pays the most lucrative local rights deal in all of MLB to the Dodgers every year, which is part of why the team is able to make splashy free agent signings year after year. Walter would hypothetically be leaving nine figures of revenue on the table each year to take control of a declining regional sports network.
Still, with MLB and NBA both planning to nationalize its local rights agreements in the next few years, there might be an opening for a deal. Right now, the Dodgers’ TV deal with Charter goes through 2038. The Lakers’ deal goes runs through 2032. It has long been rumored that Charter could attempt to back out of its deal with the Dodgers at some point given the declining economics of cable, though it’s unclear exactly how that would look.
One combined channel for both the Lakers and Dodgers would be much more fan-friendly than the current setup. And if Walter finds the goodwill gained from some form of merger or partnership worth it, it’s something he could explore.
For now, it looks like things will continue with the status quo.