Mark Walter and Todd Boehly made a deal destined to be remembered as the last great big deal in the local cable sports wars. In 2013, the Dodgers ownership duo persuaded Time Warner Cable to launch a new cable channel for the Dodgers, grant the team ownership of the channel, and pay the team $8.35 billion for rights to broadcast the games.
Since then, tens of millions of viewers across America have canceled subscriptions to cable and satellite providers. Some of those providers have gone out of business, or have been consumed in mergers. As Dodgers fans without Time Warner Cable found out the hard way, other providers have cut back or eliminated sports offerings to avoid paying pricey fees.