Oakland A’s Find New Home on Comcast SportsNet California

By Carolyn Braff

The Oakland Athletics have a new cable home, and it appears to be much more spacious — and in higher definition — than their old one. After nearly two decades of sharing time on what is now Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, the A’s have moved over to sister network Comcast SportsNet California, which is celebrating the housewarming with the most comprehensive Athletics television schedule in the team’s history.

“Previously, the A’s were side by side with the San Francisco Giants on Comcast Bay Area, which produced more schedule conflicts and more preemptions,” explains Tim Fitzpatrick, VP of public relations for Comcast SportsNet. “Now that the A’s have their own dedicated network, we’re going to be able to increase the number of A’s games that we can televise, and all of the programming that goes with them.”

Nearly 40 A’s games went un-televised last season, so moving the team to its own network guarantees it far more broadcast coverage. During the 2009 season, Comcast SportsNet California will present 147 A’s games (145 regular-season, two exhibition), which is 37 more than were broadcast a year ago. The expanded coverage also includes 75 HD telecasts, a 75% increase from last year and the most HDTV Athletics telecasts ever produced.

Pregame and postgame coverage will also bookend each A’s game this season, which was not always possible when the Giants and A’s shared a home.
A’s Pregame Live and
A’s Postgame Live will feature reporting based at the stadium and anchored at the network’s new state-of-the art studio, 24-hour newsroom, and HD production facilities at 370 3rd Street in San Francisco.

A’s games will also be available on Comcast’s On Demand service for 24 hours following each game, at no additional cost.