Fox Sports Networks will ramp up production on Spanish-language telecasts of Los Angeles Dodgers, Angels and Clippers games and has already secured a trio of cable operators to its distribution roster.
This year, Fox Sports Network will produce more than 100 games in Spanish featuring the aforementioned clubs, before lifting that total to 150 in 2013.
They will complement the contests that are already scheduled to air on Fox's southern California regional sports Fox Sports West and Prime Ticket, as well as Fox Deportes, which the programmer notes is the top-rated Spanish-language sports service in primetime, total-day and weekend day among total viewers.
At this stage, the ad hoc telecasts -- pre-game, the contest itself and post-game fare -- will be picked up by Time Warner Cable and Cox Communications in southern California and by Bright House Networks in Bakersfield, according to the programmer.
Any why not? The price is right: Fox Sports Network is not charging the distributors for carriage. Rather, the Spanish-language productions expand a pilot initiative the programmer instituted two years ago, one that provides compelling content to the nation's largest Hispanic DMA, builds goodwill with distributors, and offers advertising opportunities for the partners.
"We're proud to make this major commitment to Spanish-language sports programming in Los Angeles," said Jeff Krolik, executive vice president of Fox Sports Networks. "Not only is this a great opportunity to serve Hispanic viewers, but it's also an opportunity to provide value to our affiliates by giving them programming options for their customers."
Fox officials, noting that they began offering a handful of games in 2010, emphasize the move is not being made in response to Time Warner Cable's upcoming tipoff of a pair of Los Angeles Lakers-centered regional sports networks, including a Spanish-language entrant, this fall.
With the gambit, the MSOs can proffer Spanish-language sports that can be used for marketing their video services as customer acquisition and/or retention devices. They will also gain avails that can be used to reach Latinos.
Similarly, the games, with minimal increase in production expenses for on-air talent and graphic packages, should open up new advertising opportunities for Fox Sports in the market -- Los Angeles is the largest Hispanic DMA in the U.S. counting some 1.8 million homes -- as well as a potential bargaining chit with cable operators.
Next up: FSN plans to present Spanish-language versions of RSN contests serving the Miami and Dallas DMAs. A similar play is expected in San Diego, where Fox is already offering a feed for its RSN, which has yet to be officially approved by Major League Baseball.
Cox is airing FS San Diego on channel 56 in standard-definition and 1056 in the high-definition format, while DirecTV, at this stage, is picking up the feed to preseason San Diego Padres baseball games. AT&T U-verse, Dish Network and Time Warner Cable have yet to secure carriage deals. Negotiations are ongoing with the nation's No. 2 cable operator.
FSN secured the rights to 157 Padres games this season. Cox, through its Channel 4, had previously televised the club's contests.
