GiantsVision

GiantsVision^[1] was a pay-per-view television service for Major League Baseball games featuring the San Francisco Giants.^[2] GiantsVision^[3] was in operation for four seasons (1986^[4]–1989).^[5] Prior to this, the team's only local television outlet was KTVU, which had been broadcasting Giants games since 1961.

GiantsVision

Country	United States
Broadcast area	San Francisco Bay Area
Network	Pay-per-view
Programming
Language(s)	English
Picture format	480i (SDTV)
Ownership
Owner	Bay Area Interconnect
History
Launched	1986; 39 years ago (1986)
Closed	1989; 36 years ago (1989)
Replaced by	SportsChannel Bay Area

Background

GiantsVision was managed by San Jose-based Bay Area Interconnect. It was headed by Robert Hartzell^[6] and Mike Shapiro.^[7][8] Subscription costs began at $5.95 per game, with a full 45-game package available for $154. GiantsVision garnered an average viewership of 22,000 per game through the first two months of the 1988 season.^[9]

GiantsVision was shut down at the conclusion of the 1989 season when it was purchased by SportsChannel and floated as SportsChannel Bay Area after the merger.^[10] By 1990, at least 105 San Francisco Giants games had been televised, far more than the approximately 55 games that GiantsVision offered.^[11]

Commentators

See also: List of San Francisco Giants broadcasters

Joe Morgan,^[12][13] Duane Kuiper,^[14][15][16] and Phil Stone^[17] were the principal announcers for GiantsVision. Kuiper's brother, Jeff,^[18] was the producer of the broadcasts. David Koppett^[19] produced features for GiantsVision and later SportsChannel telecasts of Giants games. He also served as associate producer and graphics operator on Giants telecasts.