Last year, the Los Angeles Lakers announced a new TV deal with Time Warner Cable to start this season. The deal, reportedly worth $3Billion will see two Lakers TV channels launched, one in English & one in Spanish which will show every Lakers game LIVE along with some daily magazine programs & historical footage.

The channel launches on the 1st October, just in time for training camp.

The deal is a great step forward for the NBA. European Football giants such as Manchester United & Barcelona have had their own TV networks for a number of years now & there certainly is a market for some of the top NBA teams to do the same. I’m sure that the New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls & many more teams will be watching this closely to see if they could do a similar deal next time their local rights deals become available. Although the channel isn’t 100% a Lakers channel, it’s pretty close to it as Lakers & NBA centric programming will take up around 85% of the broadcast.

Today the studio programming line-up was announced & will feature a number of shows including:

• Access SportsNet - will air live every day on Time Warner Cable SportsNet. The one-hour studio program will begin at 7:00* p.m. and deliver comprehensive coverage of the Lakers, LA Galaxy and LA Sparks. It will highlight the network’s signature behind-the-scenes access and provide Lakers, Galaxy and Sparks fans with the latest information, updates and team features. A second live “Access SportsNet” will air at 10:00 p.m.
• #LakeShow - An interactive studio program highlighting of-the-moment conversations about the Lakers and fan-driven social media interaction and engagement. “#LakeShow” will air 90 minutes prior to tip-off on game days and at 6:30 p.m. on all other days and run all Lakers season long.
• Encore+ - will be re-telecasts of this season’s Lakers games enhanced with social media interaction.
• Lakers Compacto - consist of Lakers games condensed into a fast-paced, one-hour format. It will feature added sights, sounds, reaction and commentary that weren’t part of the original game telecast.
• Additional Lakers-related Time Warner Cable SportsNet programming will be announced in the coming weeks.

“Lakers fans want content about and access to their team seven days a week and we’re going to provide that with “Access SportsNet” and “#LakeShow,” said Mark Shuken, Senior Vice President and General Manager, TWC Sports Regional Networks. “We’ve created a lineup that gives fans a voice, speaks directly to them and takes them behind-the-curtain as their favorite team kicks off what’s sure to be a historic season.”

There has been a lot of talk about this because a large number of people in Southern California aren’t subscribed to Time Warner Cable… Simple solution = subscribe! It’ll be worth it if you’re a Lakers fan!

If you live in SoCal, go to iwantmylakers.com to sign up!

Check out a preview video: