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It almost feels like Time Warner Cable is trolling Padres fans now. They've refused to purchase Fox Sports San Diego after leaving the negotiations sometime last Spring. As a result 42% of the county doesn't have the ability to watch Padres games.
Instead TWC will be launching their new LA Lakers based channel in October, which is exactly what no San Diegan asked for.
Things don't look like they'll be getting any better in the off-season either. TWC has already blacked out one entire season and they would have no problem blacking out 2013 as well.
Said FOX Sports San Diego General Manager Henry Ford in a Press Release today:
“FOX Sports San Diego is the home of Padres baseball and will be for many years to come. The rate we offered Time Warner Cable is the same fair rate Cox and DIRECTV agreed to months ago. We did not ask them to pay a penny more. A cable operator blacking out a local Major League Baseball team for an entire season is almost unimaginable in this day and age. I have no reason to believe 2013 will be any different."
The Padres players have stepped up their game in an effort to create greater demand, but it's proved to be too little too late.
Entering Sunday’s game against San Francisco, the Padres had posted a 52-39 record (.571) since June 12, which ranked tenth in the MLB, fifth in the National League, and second among NL West clubs (behind SF - .604).