Starting next season, FOX Sports Midwest will be televising all games that were on KSDK in recent years.
FOX Sports Midwest spokesman Geoff Goldman confirmed the network will be televising the full slate of St. Louis Cardinals games starting in 2011, taking those which had been televised by KSDK, primarily on Sundays.
“FOX Sports Midwest will be the exclusive television home of the Cardinals next season, showing every game that is not broadcast nationally,” Goldman said when contacted on Wednesday. “We are proud to add 20 games to our schedule starting in 2011.”
FS Midwest is televising all 130 of its 2010 games in high definition.
Gauging initial reaction to the news, the basic concerns seem to be related to the principle of the matter of games leaving over-the-air television.
Moving regional events to cable outlets is hardly new. The trend has been occurring across MLB for some time for teams to take their games to more lucrative networks. In St. Louis, the shift actually began 15 years ago. The Cardinals will soon be joining a number of other clubs whose games have already left free television.
Those actually affected by the loss of games on free television are part of a small minority. FOX Sports Midwest is available via basic or expanded basic packages on most all cable and satellite systems. According to Nielsen Media Research, St. Louis’ cable plus satellite penetration is 89 percent, just two percent under the national average.
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