Dodgers May Have New Owner On The Horizon, But FOX May Stand In The Way

Frank McCourt, (presumably) inside the L.A. County Court House

(Anne Cusak / LA Times)

A co-owner of the Los Angeles Lakers may be in line to become the owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, though admittedly more a fan of basketball than baseball, expressed his "commitment ... to Los Angeles, so whatever helps this continue to be a great city that's what I would be focused to do".
Whoever ends up coming to the aid of the Dodgers knows negotiations will inevitably involve Fox Sports. The Dodgers intend to auction off the team and its television rights separately. This idea does not appeal to Fox Sports. LA Times sports blogger Bill Shaikin wrote, "The Dodgers' current television contract prevents the team from negotiating with any party besides Fox through Nov. 30, 2012."
"We fully support a change in ownership of the Dodgers," wrote Fox spokesman, Chris Bellitti, Tuesday via email. "Fox has rights that cannot be violated.... Those rights were negotiated and paid for by us and approved by MLB."

-Al K