Courtesy Boston Globe

(June 19, 2009) Comcast launched its Red Sox On Demand package to its New England digital cable subscribers yesterday, and upon initial perusal, it seems certain to be a tremendous success with Sox diehards and casual fans alike. Included in the hundreds of hours of programming, which serves as sort of a Red Sox archive, are player profiles, behind-the-scenes footage, reports on the Sox’ farm teams, game highlights from past seasons as well as the current one, as well as a deep treasure trove of nostalgia.

“There’s something for everyone,’’ said Steve Hackley, the senior vice president of Comcast in Greater Boston. “We think this new choice will satiate fans’ desire for new Red Sox content. For example, if you’re telling your kids how good [Fred] Lynn, [Jim ] Rice, and [Dwight] Evans were, now you can just call up the 1977 season and actually show them.’’

The Red Sox are primarily associated with NESN, which carries their local game telecasts as well as other programming. So to see the specific association with Comcast might raise some eyebrows. But Hackley says the decision to add the Red Sox to On Demand should not be interpreted as a shot across the bow to NESN.

“We have a great partnership with them,’’ Hackley said. “They are the first channel we actually went hi-def with. I don’t foresee any friction. This was done in the theory of abundance. There are simply more ways to follow [the Red Sox] now.’’