Pitching L.A. 'Béisbol' Fans
By Linda Haugsted -- Multichannel News, 9/2/2007 6:00:00 PM MT
Time Warner Cable's Southern California division has added a Spanish language version of its popular Dodgers on Demand free video-on-demand content.
The cable operator offers player profiles, interviews with coaches and archival footage at the original site, which debuted one year ago. Coverage was bolstered this spring with the addition of coverage from the Los Angeles Dodgers' spring training at Vero Beach, Fla. The VOD content does not include the Major League Baseball team's games, the rights to which are held by other media outlets, nor does the operator archive games for later viewing.
“Once the games are done, they're done,” said Patti Rockenwagner, vice president of communications for the division. Because there are so many platforms where fans can get game coverage, she said, there hasn't been much interest shown in archived games.
The new Spanish service, launched with an event at Dodger Stadium on Aug. 29, will include all-original programming. None of the English-language Dodgers on Demand content will be dubbed over, Rockenwagner said. The cabler contracted with Mauricio Cardenas, a sports anchor at local Telemundo station KVEA, to host the Spanish offering.
The market potential among Hispanics in the region is huge. In Los Angeles County alone, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that 46.8% of the 9.9 million residents are Hispanic.
Rockenwagner said the original English-language VOD content, the first on-demand channel launched by the operator when it took over cable operations in Southern California, has prompted upgrades from analog-only subscribers and drawn in new subscribers. The operator anticipates Dodgers on Demand en Español will help attract more Spanish-speaking users to other in-language VOD content, including children's programming and music videos available from the operator.
In the next two months, the division will be launching additional video and music programming in English and Spanish. The company said it will add three new Music Choice channels on Sept. 18: an adult Top 40 channel and alternative country music channel, as well as one featuring traditional styles of Mexican music.
On Oct. 15, the operator will add the Fox Business Network and Spanish language public-TV network V-me.
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