After 50 years on Channel 2, the Giants are moving their local broadcast games to NBC11. The Giants broadcast team — Jon Miller, Duane Kuiper and Mike Krukow — will stay with the team as they move from KTVU Oakland to KNTV San Jose. Terms of the three-year deal weren’t disclosed.

One reason the Giants gave for the move was that NBC11 was more willing to air games in prime time than KTVU, according to the Chron. But that raises the question of which station will air the pre-empted NBC shows.

NBC11 sports anchor Raj Mathai said in his blog that he was as surprised to hear about the move, but offered two reasons for the switch:

• “The big corporate and private money is in the South Bay and Peninsula (just ask the 49ers, Sharks and A’s). The Giants will increase their already mammoth South Bay and Peninsula penetration by aligning w/ KNTV.”

• “Stay ahead of the A’s. This might be THE biggest reason for the switch. The A’s are planning to move to the South Bay in 2012. The A’s target audience? San Jose. Another shrewd and smart move for the Giants to ‘mark their territory’ w/ the fans and corporations before the A’s even break ground on their new stadium in Fremont.”

The deal does not include the games ususally carried by Fox Sports Net on cable. The number of games that will be aired will be determined once Major League Baseball’s national broadcast schedule is completed.

KTVU has televised the Giants since 1958, and in 1992 the station purchased a small percentage of the Giants when it appeared the franchise was headed to Tampa Bay. The station will retain its ownership share even though it has lost its local TV contract.