Prime Ticket Cable Television Network

Prime Ticket network, which televises the games of five major professional sports teams in Southern California, reached an agreement Friday to be purchased by Denver-based cable giant Tele-Communications, Inc. Terms were not disclosed, but sources familiar with the transaction said the purchase price is believed to be about $230 million. The deal--subject to regulatory approval--is expected to close in July. Bill Daniels, who started Prime Ticket with Jerry Buss in 1985, had acquired all but 16.

For the first time in its eight-year history, Prime Ticket will televise live major league baseball this summer. The regional sports network announced Thursday that it has signed a five-year contract with the Angels to carry 20 home games in 1993 and to increase that number by at least two games each year thereafter. By the third year, Prime Ticket could televise as many as 36 games if the market so warranted.

The Prime Ticket regional cable sports network said Tuesday it will launch a similar sports venture for Spanish-speaking viewers in late October. Soccer will be a programming staple of La Cadena Deportiva, which has already acquired rights to 300 games, mainly from South and Central America, and plans to show about 150 of them.

You can't blame Bill Daniels, owner of Prime Ticket, for wearing a big smile these days. Not only is the Kings' success a financial boon to his regional cable network, which is the exclusive L.A. carrier of the Stanley Cup finals, he also played a key role in that success. One day in August of 1988, Daniels got a call from King owner Bruce McNall. "I think he called from his airplane," Daniels said. "He said he had a chance to get Wayne Gretzky, but he needed our help."

The Mighty Ducks' first home game will be among 20 games that will be broadcast by KCAL-TV (Channel 9) during the team's first NHL season, the team and station announced Friday. The agreement, which also includes road games, had been long anticipated because KCAL is a Disney Co. cousin of the Mighty Ducks.

Prime Ticket and the Mighty Ducks have reached agreement on a five-year contract in which the regional cable network will carry games involving Anaheim's NHL expansion team beginning next season. Prime Ticket, which televises all of the Kings' games, becomes the first local television entity to carry two hockey teams. The deal with the Ducks, announced on Prime Ticket's "Press Box" show Monday night, calls for 25 televised games in 1993-94, 30 the next season, 35 the next two and 40 in 1997-98.

Spanish-Language Sports Channel Debuts: La Cadena Deportiva Prime Ticket, a cable sports channel started by Los Angeles-based Prime Ticket, made its debut. The channel has signed contracts with some of Mexico's most popular soccer teams. The station plans an extensive slate of boxing matches as well as hockey games from the Los Angeles Kings and the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.