Dodgers games will finally be on DirecTV and AT&T after deal with SportsNet LA

LOS ANGELES — After six years without it, DirecTV will finally carry SportsNet LA to carry Dodgers games. It is perhaps fitting given how long the wait has been that this agreement comes with no baseball being played.

Spectrum reached a deal with AT&T to carry SportsNet LA beginning today, which means AT&T TV, DIRECTV, U-verse TV and AT&T TV NOW all carry the channel, and folks with those providers in and around Los Angeles, plus Las Vegas and Hawaii will be able to watch Dodgers games again.

SportsNet LA began in 2014, but was unable to reach carriage deals for years other than with Spectrum (originally Time Warner, then Charter), which distributes the exclusive Dodgers channel. As recently as 2018, talks between Spectrum and DirecTV were at an impasse to the point that a representative from Spectrum said at the time, “We’ve made a fair offer. DirecTV is simply not interested in carrying the Dodgers.”

Now, at least once baseball starts again, Dodgers games will be available to a wider base of fans.

“This agreement underscores our commitment to provide all Dodgers fans the opportunity to enjoy our award-winning programming and live game coverage,” said Spectrum senior VP Dan Finnerty on Wednesday.

“This has been so long coming,” Dodgers president Stan Kasten said on SportsNet LA on Wednesday. “We’re going to be viewable by almost all of our fans in Los Angeles. I have never been more hopeful and more eager to get a season started than this one. No matter how late it is, and no matter how long we have to wait, that will be fine. Just let’s get going.”

SportsNet LA is available on channel 690 on DirecTV, and 780 & 1780 on U-verse. In addition, AT&T TV and AT&T NOW will begin carrying Spectrum SportsNet, which carries Lakers games, on April 8.

Now all we need is sports to return.