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Shaky future of Spectrum's Lakers channel adds more drama to the team's sale
Los Angeles Times • • business
Key Points:
- The Lakers and Dodgers have relied on lucrative long-term TV rights deals with Charter Communications’ Spectrum, but Charter is considering exiting these agreements amid declining cable viewership and financial losses.
- Charter recently finalized a $34.5 billion acquisition of Cox Communications, making Spectrum the dominant TV and internet provider in Southern California, but acknowledged challenges in the regional sports network business.
- The Lakers’ current TV contract with Spectrum runs through 2032, while the Dodgers’ extends to 2038, yet both face pressure from cord-cutting and shifting consumer habits toward streaming platforms.
- The NBA is exploring centralized streaming options to reach younger audiences, which could reduce local teams’ revenue from traditional TV deals, impacting high-revenue clubs like the Lakers.
- Prospective Lakers owners Joshua Kushner and Bob Iger will inherit this uncertain TV landscape, as Charter seeks solutions to make sports channel agreements more economically viable amid evolving media consumption trends.
