LA Kings Agree Major Broadcast Deal with Fox Sport West

Los Angeles Kings have agreed a long-term deal with Fox Sports West.

Financial details were not disclosed but a source told the Los Angeles Times it was worth about $250 million and runs through 2024.

The Kings are currently competing in the Stanley Cup Finals against the New Jersey Devils. 

Under the terms of the new contract, Fox Sports West will televise about 75 regular-season Kings games, depending on what games are selected to be shown nationally, and a number of early-round playoff and preseason games, the network said.

“We’re pleased that the Kings will be a part of the Fox Sports family for a long time to come,” Fox Sports Networks Executive Vice President Jeff Krolik said in a statement. “Their amazing playoff run has energized this town and we couldn’t be more proud to be partners with them.”

Fox Sports West and its sister channel, Prime Ticket, have been struggling to keep as much of its team inventory in place as it can in the wake of two new regional sports networks that will be launched Oct. 1 by Time Warner Cable. The Lakers, Galaxy and Sparks have already jumped from Fox to the new networks (one of which will broadcast in Spanish), and the Dodgers’ contract with Prime Ticket expires after the 2013 season.

The Angels used the leverage of that situation to negotiate a new contract with Fox late last year, said to be worth $3 billion over 20 years and said to involve an ownership stake in Fox Sports West. The Kings’ new deal reportedly does not.

Fox Sports West has carried the Kings since 1985. Play-by-play announcer Bob Miller has called Kings games for 39 seasons. Analyst Jim Fox has been his partner for 23 seasons.

“The L.A. Kings are very excited and proud to continue what has been an extremely rewarding partnership with our friends at Fox Sports West,” Kings President Luc Robitaille said.