Dodgers

Magic Johnson Discusses Dodgers TV Blackout, Compares to Yankees

The Dodgers’ television blackout is ridiculous — any fan can agree to that. When the Dodgers organization signed a 25-year, $8.35 billion pact with Time Warner Cable to be their primary television coverage provider, many questioned how it would impact the integrity of the game. In a way, it has made it unfair for small market teams to compete with the Dodgers. While the Dodgers certainly reap the benefits, they do continue to pinch pennies and almost seem to have a phobia of going over the competitive balance tax threshold. With all that money, where does it go?

That contract provides the Dodgers somewhere in the neighborhood of $334 million per year. The Dodgers allocated approximately $190 million to payroll in 2019. That leaves a $144 million difference that is put somewhere. The Dodgers have continued to renovate Chavez Ravine, but where are the renovations for the on-field product? It is a guarantee that the majority of fans want to see a World Series more than they want to see chef tours and an updated center field pavilion.

Dodgers minority owner Magic Johnson spoke on the Dodgers’ current TV blackout at the Yext Onward19 Conference in New York City. He noted that the deal has made the club a good amount of money.

This is almost a slap in the face to the fan base. The big heads at the top of the food chain continue to profit the big dollars while the players are having their service time manipulated — in an effort to limit their profits — and fans are left to watch their clubs struggle in the postseason. Simply put, Guggenheim Baseball Management has done a great job at doing the ‘adequate’ as opposed to going above and beyond to put the best product on the field. There is a reason why the Dodgers continue to get shown the door in October. This ownership group takes their fans for granted — and most of the Greater Los Angeles Area still does not get to watch their team on television. What a joke.

As Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times notes, the Dodgers’ blackout has lasted six seasons in total. The Yankees’ blackout only lasted one.

At this point, enough is enough. Coming from someone who does have Spectrum now and did not used to, I can share your pain. It’s been far too long and the Dodgers owe it to their fan base to change this thing. Still, do not expect them to.

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