Time Warner Cable says Dodgers channel won't prompt write down

Time Warner Cable consistently has acknowledged that it is incurring financial losses from its deal to distribute the Los Angeles Dodgers television channel. The New York cable in 2013 entered into a 25-year contract with team owners Guggenheim Partners to carry the channel, SportsNet LA. The contract is valued at $8.35 billion over the life of the deal, according to the team and Major League Baseball. Time Warner Cable had anticipated that other pay-TV companies would pony up and carry the channel, helping Time Warner Cable recoup its costs. But that hasn't happened. Time Warner Cable remains the only major distributor to carry the channel in Southern California. Other operators, including DirecTV, Dish Network, Charter Communications, AT&T U-Verse and Cox Communications have balked -- saying the price of the channel was too high. Time Warner Cable has not publicly put a number on the extent of its losses from the Dodgers contract. Industry sources, however, have estimated that the company is losing more than $100 million a year on its deal -- with losses expected to grow as long as Time Warner Cable remains the only major distributor carrying the channel.