For the first time this season, Dodgers fans can stream SportsNet LA without needing a cable or satellite bundle. Spectrum has launched SNLA+, a new streaming subscription for $29.99 per month or $199.99 per year, allowing direct access to Dodgers games and related programming.
The new service will be available when the Dodgers start their season in Japan on Tuesday at 3 a.m. PDT. SNLA+ is offered in partnership with Major League Baseball (MLB), which will handle the technology and distribution through MLB.com and the MLB app. Subscriptions are available only within the Dodgers’ local TV market.
SNLA+ will provide live and archived games, pregame and postgame coverage, postseason and offseason content, and shows like Backstage Dodgers though SportsNet LA had reduced similar programming last year.
Charter Communications, Spectrum’s parent company, had long resisted streaming, focusing on exclusivity to minimize losses from its $8.35 billion local broadcasting deal with the Dodgers, inherited in the 2016 Time Warner Cable acquisition. Previously, the only way to access SportsNet LA was through a Spectrum TV bundle.
As cable and satellite audiences decline and streaming becomes more popular, Charter decided to explore additional revenue streams. Last year, Charter began offering SportsNet LA streaming to customers who purchased broadband and cellphone services from Spectrum an option that remains this season. Spectrum TV subscribers with SportsNet LA will continue to get free streaming access.
The $29.99 monthly fee places SNLA+ at the higher end of MLB streaming rates. NESN, which carries the Boston Red Sox and Bruins, also charges $29.99 per month. YES Network, home to the New York Yankees and Brooklyn Nets, offers streaming for $24.99 per month, while FanDuel Sports West, which broadcasts the Angels and Kings, charges $19.99 monthly.
Currently, MLB operates streaming for three of the Dodgers’ National League West rivals the Padres, Diamondbacks, and Rockies at $19.99 per month. In total, 23 of MLB’s 30 teams now have direct-to-consumer streaming options.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred aims to consolidate streaming rights for as many teams as possible and package them for sale to a major platform in 2028. This could increase national broadcast revenue, which teams would share equally. However, Manfred may need to offer financial incentives to convince marquee franchises like the Dodgers and Yankees to assign their streaming rights to the league.
A source familiar with the deal confirmed that the Dodgers have not assigned their streaming rights to MLB as part of the SNLA+ agreement.