Lengthy dispute between Washington Nationals and Baltimore Orioles over TV rights fees finally ends

CNN

03-03-2025

Major League Baseball announced Monday the end of a long-running saga over the Washington Nationals' television rights between the 20-year-old DC team and the nearby Baltimore Orioles.
'For the 2025 season, Washington Nationals games will continue to be televised locally exclusively by the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN) under a new, one-year contract,' the league said in a statement.
'After this term, the Nationals will be free to explore alternatives for their television rights for the 2026 season and beyond. As part of the settlement, all disputes related to past media rights between the Nationals, Orioles, and MASN have been resolved, and all litigation will be dismissed.'
No financial agreements were made public in Monday's announcement.
The announcement puts an end to a dispute that has existed as long as the Nationals themselves.
When Washington, DC, was announced as the new home of the then-Montreal Expos franchise, the Baltimore Orioles were confronted with a new team moving in on territory that had largely belonged to Baltimore since the Washington Senators moved to Texas in the early 1970s. As part of the concessions to the Orioles, the Nationals' TV rights were awarded to the Orioles-owned TV network that became Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN).
MASN would then pay the Nationals a fee for those rights in five-year increments, according to the agreement. But those payments would become the source of litigation and spats between the two franchises.
Disagreements over the value of Nationals' TV rights have largely been ongoing since 2012. The complicated TV rights situation has been cited as one of the reasons that the Lerner family-owned franchise was not able to find a buyer for the Nats when the family announced it was exploring a sale in 2022.
The league said Monday that it hopes the announcement of an agreement would be an amicable end to the ordeal.
'The Nationals and Orioles extend their gratitude to Commissioner Manfred and his team at MLB for their efforts in bringing this matter to a successful conclusion,' the statement read. 'Both Clubs thank our fans for their support and look forward to continuing their partnership with MASN for the upcoming season.'
The Orioles declined to comment to CNN on specific questions about the end of the dispute.
'We are excited to have this longstanding issue resolved and look forward to the season ahead,' said David Rubenstein, Baltimore principal owner and team control person, in a statement.
The end of the relationship between the Nationals and MASN could mean a new influx of cash into the Washington franchise, which has dramatically cut back on spending since its World Series victory in 2019. The regional sports network run by Washington Wizards and Capitals owner Ted Leonsis, Monumental Sports Network, is expected to be a potential top bidder for the 2026 season and beyond.
The Nationals did not immediately respond to follow-up questions from CNN.