Cox offering subscribers an alternative to watch Super Bowl

By Chris Kudialis

Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2016 | 2:28 p.m.

As Cox Communications and KLAS-TV parent company Nexstar continue contract negotiations, the cable giant is offering an alternative for its 353,000 blacked-out Las Vegas customers to watch Sunday’s Super Bowl.

Cox today announced ESPN Deportes will be available to all customers through Monday. The Spanish-language station, normally available only through select Cox sports and Latino entertainment packages, will broadcast the Super Bowl in standard definition on channel 16 in the Las Vegas Valley.

“We found a workaround to provide the Super Bowl for all of our customers,” Cox spokesman Juergen Barbusca said. “We understand there are only so many options to see the game, and we wanted to expand it, so people can still stay at home and watch it.”

Barbusca said Cox will not have an English-language Super Bowl broadcast without KLAS-TV but encouraged non-Spanish-speaking viewers to listen to the local ESPN affiliate’s audio broadcast on 100.9-FM and 1100-AM while watching the Deportes broadcast.

Despite the added viewing option for Cox customers, Barbusca and KLAS-TV President Lisa Howfield said the companies still hope to reach an agreement before Sunday’s big game.

If an agreement is reached, KLAS-TV’s signal could be back on Cox immediately, Howfield said.

Howfield said she didn’t think Cox’s addition of the ESPN Deportes broadcast would affect the negotiations.

“I can’t imagine a quiet television and radio audio coming in ahead of the broadcast would be an optimal way to watch the game,” Howfield said. “It’s just another tactic.”