Baltimore Orioles, Washington Nationals resolve years-long dispute with MASN over TV rights
The Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals resolved a years-long dispute with the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN) over TV rights, Major League Baseball (MLB) officials announced Monday.
According to MLB, Washington Nationals games can be televised locally under a new exclusive one-year contract with MASN.
After the year is up, the Nationals will be able to explore alternatives for their TV rights for the 2026 season and beyond.
Under the settlement, all past media rights disputes between the Nationals, Orioles and MASN were resolved and litigation was dismissed, officials said.
The legal fight dates back to 2012.
Legal dispute
MASN was created in 2005 after the Montreal Expos relocated to Washington, D.C., and became the Nationals. The Orioles were given a supermajority interest in MASN at 90%, the Associated Press reported. The Nationals had an initial 10% interest.
An agreement outlined that the Nationals' equity would increase by 1% each year starting after the 2009 season. The team's equity was capped at 33%.
By 2012, lawsuits had been filed in the New York Supreme Court, and litigation over the 2012 to 2016 fees resulted in the Nationals' TV rights being valued at $296.8 million. The sides later agreed to a settlement in June 2023.
A 2023 decision found that MASN owed the Nationals $304.1 million for 2017 to 2021. The decision was confirmed in the New York Supreme Court.
Another decision in 2024 awarded the Nationals $320.5 million for the 2022 to 2026 seasons, though a court hearing on the decision had been scheduled in March.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.