SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Time Warner Cable will cut the price of the Dodgers-owned cable channel to DirecTV and other providers in an attempt to end the stalemate over broadcasting the team's games, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times.
The move might break the two-plus year dispute between Time Warner and the carriers and allow most of the Southland to view the Dodgers this year, the last for Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully.
Currently, only about 30 percent of households in Southern California have access to the channel, SportsNet LA, which was launched by Dodgers owner Guggenheim Baseball Partners at a cost to distributor Time Warner of $8.3 billion for 25 years.
Time Warner has attempted to recoup that outlay by asking nearly $5 a month per subscriber from carriers. The new price is about $3.50 per subscriber, according to the report.
While Time Warner and its proposed acquirer, Charter Cable, carry the games, DirecTV, AT&T, Verizon and Cox Communications haven't met Time Warner's carriage-fee demands.
According to the report, Time Warner has lost more than $100 million since 2014 because of limited distribution. The report said Time Warner's previous asking price made the Dodgers channel the second-most expensive among regional sports networks in the U.S. behind only YES Network, which carries the Yankees.
Adding DirecTV would double the Dodgers' distribution alone. The offer, according to The Times, is for one year. Charter's acquisition of Time Warner Cable isn't expected to close until May.