Comcast to skip some Jazz games

Comcast Utah, the area's primary digital-cable carrier, will not carry a premium package of 13 Jazz games being sold by Fox Sports Net Utah, a Comcast company spokesman said Friday.

Comcast will offer its customers 69 of the Jazz's 82 regular-season games, including 27 on FSN Utah, 40 on KJZZ-TV and two being televised nationally by TNT.

That totals more Jazz games than Comcast ever has carried previously, Comcast Utah public relations director Ray Child said. The 40 KJZZ games also will available for repeat viewing via Comcast's On Demand service, Child added.

But Comcast has decided that FSN Utah's asking price for the 13 extra games — "seven figures," according to Child — is too high.

"It's cost-prohibitive," Child said.

Fox Sports Net is carrying 40 Jazz games in all this season — a 27-game base package and the at-issue 13-game premium package, which it is selling separately to cable and dish-satellite providers.

FSN Utah general manager Tim Griggs earlier this week publicly encouraged viewers to contact their providers and urge them to pick up the extra 13 games.

FSN Utah spokesman Amy Turner said Friday the Dish Network has agreed to carry all 40 FSN-broadcast games and that FSN Utah is in "advanced negotiations" with Direct TV to do the same.

Turner also confirmed Comcast has declined to take the additional 13-game package.

It's uncertain precisely which 13 games among the 40 FSN Utah is carrying will comprise the premium package.

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E-mail: tbuckley@desnews.com