Comcast Hometown Network to Televise 30 LIVE Minor League Baseball Games

LIVERMORE, Calif., April 13, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Comcast Hometown Network (Channel 104), Comcast's regional cable network covering Northern and Central California, today announced that it will televise 30 LIVE Minor League Baseball games from the California League and the Pacific Coast League in 2015. The telecasts will begin on Thursday, April 16th at 7:00 p.m. with the San Jose Giants home opener against the Bakersfield Blaze (see complete schedule below).

CHN's Upside, a show that covers positive news and events, kicks off coverage of the Giants as they face off against the Blaze. Continuing its focus on positive stories, this episode will maintain its optimistic outlook while giving a preview of the season to come, introducing viewers to the CHN on-camera personalities and more leading straight into CHN's coverage of the baseball game.

All of the Comcast Hometown Network games will be broadcast LIVE from either Chukchansi Park, home of the Fresno Grizzlies or San Jose Municipal Stadium, home of the San Jose Giants. The telecasts will also be available via Comcast's popular On Demand platform, which allows viewers to pause, rewind and fast forward games.  To view the games via On Demand, Comcast digital customers should tune to Channel 1 (On Demand) and select Get Local > Comcast Hometown > San Jose Giants or Get Local > Comcast Hometown > Fresno Grizzlies.

"We are proud to partner with the San Jose Giants and the Fresno Grizzlies once again," said Jeff Giles, Director of Comcast Hometown Network. "This year, Upside on Channel 104 gives our viewers a sneak peek into the season right before the first pitch is thrown. It's going to be an exciting season and CHN is the place to be for local fans to see their homegrown champions play."

All San Jose Giants television broadcasts will feature play-by-play by the "Voice of the San Jose Giants," Joe Ritzo, and Joe Castellano will contribute color commentary. Ritzo has been calling San Jose Giants games since 2003 while Castellano, who with more than 20 years of experience in the industry has broadcasted a variety of sports for networks such as NBC, MLB Network and Comcast. Announcing duties for the Fresno Grizzlies will be handled by Doug Greenwald, radio announcer. Veteran minor league baseball announcer and MLB Network reporter Joe Castellano will provide color commentary for the Comcast Hometown Network baseball telecasts. In-game reporting for San Jose Giants and Fresno Grizzlies games will be provided Anna Kagarakis and Hometown Network team reporters.

The California League is a Class A Advanced minor league baseball league which operates throughout the state of California. Comprised of 10 teams that are affiliated with Major League Baseball teams such as the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland Athletics, the California League is divided into a Northern Division and a Southern Division. The Southern Division features five teams from the sprawling metropolitan areas of Southern California, and the Northern Division features five teams in California's growing Central Valley as well as the San Jose Giants in the Bay Area.

The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Triple-A minor baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. The PCL consists of the American Conference (featuring the Albuquerque Isotopes, Iowa Cubs, Memphis Redbirds, Nashville Sounds, New Orleans Zephyrs, Oklahoma City RedHawks, Omaha Storm Chasers, and the Round Rock Express) and the Pacific Conference (featuring the El Paso Chihuahuas, Colorado Springs Sky Sox, Fresno Grizzlies, Las Vegas 51s, Reno Aces, Sacramento River Cats, Salt Lake Bees, Tacoma Rainiers and the Tucson Padres).

Following is Comcast Hometown Network's 2015 baseball telecast schedule (subject to change):

About Comcast Hometown Network:  Comcast Hometown Network (CHN) is a regional cable network produced by Comcast and available in Northern California, Central California and Santa Barbara County on Digital Channel 104.  Available to more than 2 million homes in California as a part of Comcast's commitment to the communities that it serves, Comcast Hometown Network is a 24/7 channel that includes original regional programming and unique local content that you can't get anywhere else.  CHN televises key high school football and basketball matchups, minor league baseball games from the California League and the Pacific Coast League and Stockton Thunder hockey games from the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL). Beyond sports programming, CHN also produces Game On, a local sports magazine show dedicated to female athletes as well as compelling programming like Upside, which offers in-depth news coverage, interviews and commentary with a positive slant.

About Comcast Corporation: Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) is a global media and technology company with two primary businesses, Comcast Cable and NBCUniversal. Comcast Cable is the nation's largest video, high-speed Internet and phone provider to residential customers under the XFINITY brand and also provides these services to businesses. NBCUniversal operates news, entertainment and sports cable networks, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, television production operations, television station groups, Universal Pictures and Universal Parks and Resorts. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information.

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SOURCE Comcast Hometown Network