The team said it will air 145 regular season games - the most ever for the franchise - on Comcast SportsNet California, the Sacramento-based sister network to Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, which has carried the team since 1990.

The move puts the A’s on a different channel than the San Francisco Giants, which have tended to draw higher ratings in recent years. The Giants, for instance averaged more than 59,000 households per game last season compared to the Athletics’ reach of about 47,000 households per game. The Giants are a part owner of Comcast SportsNet Bay Area.

For more than a year the A’s contemplated moving to another channel that would devote more time and resources to game coverage, pre- and post-game shows and other features about the team. “We thought it would be great to have our own channel to deal with the A’s,” said Ken Pries, the team’s vice president of broadcast and communications.

Although the A’s won’t be the only pro team televised on Comcast SportsNet California, the new station has more time to devote to A’s coverage because it does not carry another Major League baseball team. The station also airs the Sacramento Kings and local college teams.

The A’s will boost the money it will get through its multi-year deal. Team officials said its rights deal is “significantly more than there was with (TV) deals last year,” said Pries.

Although the A’s new station is based in Sacramento, Bay Area fans still will be able to follow the team. Bay Area Comcast subscribers will get Comcast SportsNet California on channel 89 when A’s broadcasts begin in April. Comcast SportsNet Bay Area is on channel 40 in much of the Bay Area. The other cable and satellite providers that offer Comcast SportsNet Bay Area will also offer Comcast SportsNet California.

Separately, Comcast SportsNet Bay Area unveiled an expanded lineup of original programming designed to boost viewership, which can lag when the network is not airing live games.

Among the new additions coming in April are SportsNet Central, a daily locally-focused sports show that will cover hometown teams, breaking local and national stories and updated scores. A separate show, Chronicle Live, will be produced in conjunction with the San Francisco newspaper’s sports department. The show will be an hour-long daily sports talk show.

The station’s expansion comes thanks to investments from its parent company, Comcast Corp. Philadelphia-based Comcast poured $11 million into the regional sports network, an investment meant to lure more viewers, which can boost advertising revenue.

Comcast SportsNet Bay Area has grown its staff, expanding to more than 120 people from 30 last year. The station is moving to new headquarters at 370 Third Street in San Francisco, which formerly housed AT&T Corp. employees, taking 32,000 square feet. That is up from 12,000 square feet in its office at 77 Geary Street.

Comcast SportsNet Bay Area reaches nearly 4 million households in northern California and northern Nevada. Along with the Giants, the broadcaster has deals with the San Jose Sharks, Golden State Warriors and other local teams.