Fox Sports San Diego Set To Launch In March

The network that just could’t come soon enough will finally be here in March.  According to Jay Posner of the San Diego Union Tribune, Fox Sports San Diego is slated for a start date of around March 5, 2012.  Cox Communications recently released the date of its upcoming channel changes indicating the network will be launching around the same time to line up with the new channels.

The network will appear in its non-HD format on channel 56 in San Diego on Cox.  It will appear in all its HD glory on channel 1056 on Cox.  There has not been any announcement as to when the channel will air on other carriers besides Cox, but all major carriers are expected to have Fox Sports San Diego as part of their lineup.

We’ve covered the deal and what it means for the Padres here previously, but the news of an actual start date is all the more promising.  Still of some concern is the fact that the league has yet to formally approve the deal.  While the network will launch in March, the finalization of the deal between San Diego and Fox may not come until after.

No matter the actual consummation date of the deal between the Padres and Fox, the launch of the new network officially signifies the end of the Channel 4 Padres era.  It was a network that carried the games for as long as I can remember, but a network in need of much improvement.  The deal promises to add revenue and exposure to the small-market Padres.  Two things the team cannot have enough of.