Breaking Down the Lakers Deal With Time Warner Cable

The Lakers’ new deal with Time Warner Cable has come as almost an afterthought, as the Lakers have dropped two in a row on the road – including an embarrassing 20-point loss to the Bobcats on Monday. While the Lakers are enduring their recent bout of struggles on the road, it’s important to understand the implications of their new television deal with Time Warner Cable.

We’ll start off with numbers: According to Hoopshype.com, the Los Angeles Lakers are valued at approximately $643 million; however, as tweeted by Yahoo.com’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Lakers’ owner Jerry Buss has had recent suitors willing to pay up to $1 billion for the franchise.

Fortunately for Buss and his family, the Lakers new deal with Time Warner, which is slated to start in 2012-13, allowed him to keep the franchise, as the Lakers will receive a payout of up to a total of $3 billion over 20 years – or $150 million a year.

According to the Los Angeles Times , Time Warner’s yearly payment to the Lakers will be five times what the Purple and Gold was receiving from Fox to broadcast the games on Fox Sports West.

So, what does this mean for the actual viewing experience of a Lakers game? Well, no longer will their games be available to watch on KCAL-9 or FS West. Instead, they will only be viewable for those with cable, and the games will be broadcasted on two new regional sports networks in Los Angeles.

The two stations will be broadcasted – one in English and the other in Spanish – and will hold the rights to all Lakers’ pre-, regular and postseason games.

You May Also Like

NBA Free Agency News: Magic Johnson In Favor Of D’Angelo Russell Potentially Reuniting With Lakers

With free agency less than a week away, the Los Angeles Lakers are currently sifting through the different options that…

Lakers Waive Jordan Bell After Cavaliers Trade

The Los Angeles Lakers waived Jordan Bell one day after finalizing their trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The…

Lakers News: LeBron James Gives Rui Hachimura Game Ball For Performance Against Rockets

With this current Los Angeles Lakers roster, there are always a number of candidates to have a big game…

Lakers News: Kyle Kuzma Focused On Remaining True To Self Through Season That’s Tested Him ‘Physically And Mentally’

After a season in which the Los Angeles Lakers received encouraging contributions from Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart…