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Nationals, Orioles resolve long-standing TV rights dispute

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Updated  March 4, 2025 12:47am EST
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FOX 5 DC
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The Brief

    • On Monday, the Nationals and Orioles announced the final resolution of all issues related to their long-running "MASN dispute."
    • It means the Nats can explore alternatives for their TV rights starting with the 2026 season.
    • The agreement may also have an impact on the teams’ payroll and whether the Nationals are put back up for sale.

WASHINGTON - You could say the Washington Nationals and Baltimore Orioles just wrapped up a ballgame that had gone to extra innings long ago. That’s because the teams’ long-running TV rights dispute is now over, according to a statement jointly released by the teams.

The backstory:

Back when the Montreal Expos moved to D.C. and became the Washington Nationals, the team agreed to give control of its TV rights to the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network or MASN, which is controlled by the O’s.

Now, though, Nats games will remain on MASN for one more season. Then, the team is free to find a new TV deal for 2026 and beyond, according to a press release put out by the teams.

What they're saying:

"Specifically in terms of the financial trajectory of the team, I’m not sure this is sort of a momentous moment today like it would have been in a different era," said Ben Strauss, a sports and media reporter for The Washington Post. 

Strauss added that Monday’s announcement may have meant more for the Nationals’ payroll if it happened a decade ago, when there was a more robust market for local sports rights.

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However, Strauss offered a different take for fans wondering whether the announcement makes it more likely that Nationals ownership may once again consider selling the team.

"I do think if they decided they wanted to sell the team again, it would be a much simpler process," he explained.

Dig deeper:

When it comes to talk about either a new team owner or the team’s TV rights, Monumental Sports & Entertainment CEO Ted Leonsis is almost certainly the first name that people bring up. 

After all, Leonsis — who already owns the Wizards and Capitals — has expressed interest in buying the Nationals before. 

For now, however, Leonsis isn’t saying much. Reached Monday evening, a Monumental spokesperson declined comment on both the organization and Leonsis’ behalf.

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