Nationals vs. Orioles: Legal Battle Over TV Rights Fees Heats Up Again
The Nationals recently filed a petition seeking to enforce a ruling that the Orioles and MASN owe them over $320 million.
2024-2025 Offseason News
💡
Key Points:
Rights Fees Dispute: The core issue centers around the amount the Nationals should receive from MASN for their television rights.
Long-Standing Conflict: The dispute has a history dating back to 2012, involving multiple rounds of negotiations, legal battles, and court rulings.
Financial Stakes: The amount in dispute is substantial and has significant financial implications for both the Nationals and the Orioles.
New Ownership, Uncertain Future: While new Orioles ownership has expressed a desire for a more amicable resolution, the future of the dispute remains uncertain.
Industry Shifts: The evolving media landscape, particularly the rise of streaming services, is influencing MASN's approach to the situation.
Rights Fees Dispute: The core issue centers around the amount the Nationals should receive from MASN for their television rights.
Long-Standing Conflict: The dispute has a history dating back to 2012, involving multiple rounds of negotiations, legal battles, and court rulings.
Financial Stakes: The amount in dispute is substantial and has significant financial implications for both the Nationals and the Orioles.
New Ownership, Uncertain Future: While new Orioles ownership has expressed a desire for a more amicable resolution, the future of the dispute remains uncertain.
Industry Shifts: The evolving media landscape, particularly the rise of streaming services, is influencing MASN's approach to the situation.
Please make this stop! The Washington Nationals and the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN) are forever embroiled in another legal battle over television rights fees. This long-running dispute stems from the Orioles' controlling stake in MASN. This regional sports network broadcasts both teams' games when the Montreal Expos relocated to the Washington D.C. region 20 years ago!
According to Matt Weyrich of the Baltimore Sun, the Nationals recently filed a petition with the New York Supreme Court to enforce a committee's ruling that the Orioles and MASN owe them approximately $320.5 million in rights fees for the 2022-2026 seasons. This sum includes significant backpay for the past three seasons (2022-2024), roughly $203.9 million, and future payments for the 2025 and 2026 seasons. For context, the Nationals' estimated 2024 player payroll was around $130 million, according to RosterResource.
Related Article: Perspective: When is enough enough?
This latest legal action follows a pattern established in 2012, where five-year negotiations for license fees between the Orioles and Nationals have repeatedly stalled and escalated into court proceedings. In previous instances, Major League Baseball's Revenue Sharing Definitions Committee devised an "established methodology" to determine the rights fees. This methodology resulted in rulings approved by the New York Supreme Court in 2019 and 2023 for the 2012-2016 and 2017-2021 periods, respectively.
Weyrich reported that despite these intentions, MASN is exploring alternative revenue streams, including "direct-to-consumer" streaming, to navigate the evolving media landscape and maintain its competitiveness in the market.
This ongoing dispute highlights the complex and contentious relationship between the two franchises and underscores the significant financial implications for both teams.
Dear Reader
Your support is vital to independent media outlets like the Nats Report. By subscribing to Nats Report+ or donating, you help us continue to provide in-depth coverage of the Washington Nationals organization.
Together, we can ensure a diverse and informative media landscape.
Your support is vital to independent media outlets like the Nats Report. By subscribing to Nats Report+ or donating, you help us continue to provide in-depth coverage of the Washington Nationals organization.
Together, we can ensure a diverse and informative media landscape.
Members Discussion