Washington D.C.-March 4, 2025
After years of disputes in the courts and strained negotiations, the Washington Nationals and Baltimore Orioles have finally settled their long-standing disagreement regarding payments for television rights. The deal ends over a decade of stalled negotiations on how both teams should share broadcasting profits from the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN).
The row started in 2005 when the Nationals moved from Montreal to Washington, D.C., and as part of the agreement for their relocation; Major League Baseball (MLB) granted the Orioles a controlling interest in MASN and control over the Nationals’ TV revenue. The specifics of the deal dictated that the Nationals were to receive a proportion of the revenue of the network, but disputes about fairness arose soon after.
What was really in dispute was how much MASN had owed the Nationals for rights. The team contended that it deserved a far higher payout, in accordance with market standards viewed by other MLB teams, whereas the Orioles contended that current agreements were reasonable. After this, the litigation followed while the case went back and forth through arbitration, lawsuits, and appeals.
The general terms of the agreement say that the Nationals will get a huge sum for their past revenue inequality, and future payments will be aligned to the extent of a more competitive market value. Neither of the clubs has disclosed the particulars about the amounts involved in this agreement, which, as some reports show, amounts to a few hundred million dollars.
“This resolution has been a long time coming,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “We are happy that both organizations were able to come together and agree on a fair deal that is good for the teams, their fans, and the future of baseball in the region.”
The owner of the Nationals, Mark Lerner, said he was relieved by the outcome and added, “This agreement allows us to look ahead and focus on building competitive teams for our fans. It is important to the future of the franchise because of the financial security it provides.”
Thus, the Orioles maintained that MASN’s position as a regional broadcaster must hold. “We are committed to making sure that baseball fans in the Mid-Atlantic region have access to their favorite teams. That means we will provide high-quality coverage for both teams,” stated Orioles Chairman and CEO John Angelos.
It brings to an end nearly two decades of financial uncertainty for the Nationals: the bitter internal divisions and perhaps that longest legal dispute in professional sports. With this subject behind them, both clubs can now turn their attention to the start of the new MLB season without the cloud of litigation hanging over them.
