My take on that is that the cable providers (Comcast, Cox, Verizon, et al) want to keep that $2 for themselves. That cuts into profit. And what I think that MASN understands is that availability of the Regional Sports Network is the type of thing that drives users from one provider to another. I wouldn't be on FIOS if they did not offer MASN 1 and 2. I'd still be with Cox. MASN knows that. And so do the providers, that's why they pay the $2 in the first place.
As for Angelos versus the Nats getting more money. IMHO, It's all but a guarantee that the Nats get more money out of this. Either MASN realizes the value and gives the Nats a larger cut or (here's where my hopes are) the Nats ask for so much that MASN is happy to be divorced from them and the Nats can go out and get a market rate for their games and be on a network that cares about them.
Thanks for the info. Very interesting.
What about the Nats ending up on Comcast, which I think would be ideal. Is that even a possibility?
