Time Warner Cable and the Los Angeles Lakers Sign Long-Term Agreement for Lakers Games, Beginning With 2012-2013 Season

Time Warner Cable Will Launch Two Regional Sports Networks in HD, Including the First Spanish-Language Regional Sports Network in the United States

NEW YORK & EL SEGUNDO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Time Warner Cable and the Los Angeles Lakers today entered into a 20-year, wide-ranging agreement for rights to distribute all locally available pre-season, regular season, and post-season Lakers games, beginning with the 2012-2013 season.

“Time Warner Cable has been producing quality sports programming for over a decade and the Lakers have been producing championship seasons for even longer. I am particularly proud of being part of the first ever Spanish-language RSN in the country. Together I’m confident we will delight our fans.”

To showcase the games, Time Warner Cable will launch two regional sports networks in HD, including the nation’s first Spanish-language regional sports network, with new state-of-the-art facilities in Los Angeles, to bring fans the most compelling Lakers content using the latest technology. The networks will be available to all satellite, cable and telco distributors in the Lakers’ territory, which includes all of Southern California, Nevada and Hawaii.

The networks will include a number of elements custom-designed for Lakers fans, including:

• A single destination where Lakers fans can find all locally-televised home and away games and a variety of new and original Lakers’ content featuring behind-the-scenes, personality and classic programming.
• All Lakers games will be produced in high definition, with state-of-the-art technology and high production values in English & Spanish. The Spanish-language channel is a stand alone RSN with its own dedicated production of game telecasts and other unique content tailored to Spanish speaking Lakers fans – not a SAP feed.
• All games will feature pre and post-game shows produced separately in both English and Spanish.
• A Lakers news and magazine show throughout the season.
• Joint community relations initiatives.
• New online and on demand multi-platform content featuring the Lakers.

“This long-term agreement represents a huge win for all Lakers fans, providing destination channels, more content and more platforms for the Lakers, one of the premier brands in professional sports today,” said Glenn Britt, Time Warner Cable’s Chairman & CEO. “It allows us to secure great ‘must-have’ content for our customers in an advantageous arrangement that affords us greater control over our own economic destiny for decades to come. We’ll be able to fully leverage our experience in local and regional programming; we have been at the forefront of the industry with 24-hour regional news and 24-hour regional news in Spanish, and now we’re breaking ground with the nation’s first Spanish-language regional sports network, something that’s tailor made for Southern California.”

“The Buss family is thrilled to join forces with Time Warner Cable in building the TV home for Lakers fans," said Dr. Jerry Buss, Lakers Owner. “Time Warner Cable has been producing quality sports programming for over a decade and the Lakers have been producing championship seasons for even longer. I am particularly proud of being part of the first ever Spanish-language RSN in the country. Together I’m confident we will delight our fans.”

Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

About Time Warner Cable

Time Warner Cable is the second-largest cable operator in the U.S., with technologically advanced, well-clustered systems located mainly in five geographic areas — New York State (including New York City), the Carolinas, Ohio, southern California (including Los Angeles) and Texas. Time Warner Cable serves more than 14 million customers who subscribe to one or more of its video, high-speed data and voice services. Time Warner Cable Business Class offers a suite of phone, Internet, Ethernet and cable television services to businesses of all sizes. Time Warner Cable Media, the advertising arm of Time Warner Cable, offers national, regional and local companies innovative advertising solutions that are targeted and affordable. More information about the services of Time Warner Cable is available at www.timewarnercable.com, www.twcbc.com and www.twcmedia.com.

About the Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers hold the most wins (3,065) and highest winning percentage (.619) in NBA history. Currently in their 63rd season in the NBA, the Lakers have won 16 NBA Championships, while reaching the NBA Finals a league-high 31 times. Sixteen former Lakers players have been enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, along with legendary coaches John Kundla, Bill Sharman, Phil Jackson and Pat Riley. Most of their rich history was narrated by Hall of Fame broadcaster Chick Hearn, who announced a record 3,338 consecutive games from 1965 to 2001.

Owner of the Los Angeles Lakers since 1979, Dr. Jerry Buss has built one of the most successful organizations in the history of professional sports, earning him enshrinement in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010. During his ownership, the Lakers have won 10 NBA Championships and made 16 trips to the NBA Finals, while recording the most victories and highest overall winning percentage in the NBA.