Will MLB force the Angelos family to sell the Nats TV rights to the Lerners?

[imref]

I've seen on here a lot this offseason Nats fans saying how bad the attendance will be this year and not watching them as much on MASN. So I started thinking DC is just not a sports town and other towns like Philly are sports crazy and show up no matter what. So I looked at 2015 and 2016. Philly lost 99 games in 2015 and 91 in 2016. In 2015 they were 25th in attendance. In 2016 they were 24th.

So never mind, it's not we're just not a sports town it's all about winning. Having said that, being an old Senators fan, as Ben says in "Fever Pitch", I am bullet proof and I will be in the stands to watch us take a whipping.

i can't imagine attendance / viewership will be any worse this year than it was last year, especially with Crews and Cavalli due to arrive.

[nfotiu]

Interesting article that confirms my napkin math that MASN is worth nothing, and may actually be a liability to the O's.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeozanian/2024/02/16/why-masn-was-given-no-value-in-17--billion-sale-of-baltimore-orioles/?sh=4dbc13245e5f

The Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN) is apparently not worth anything. A group led by private equity billionaire David Rubenstein is buying the Baltimore Orioles at a valuation of $1.72 billion—paying $655 million for 38% of the team and its 77% stake in MASN—but in the note the league sent to teams about the pending transaction, there was no price allocation for the regional sports network. (The Washington Nationals own the remaining 23% of the RSN.)

So why no love for MASN?

Industry insiders tell Forbes that MASN has no real equity value. Three years ago, MASN generated operating income (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) of more than $90 million, according to SNL Kagan. But now, sources say, the rights fees that MASN pays the Orioles and the Nationals—a little over $60 million per team annually—eat up all of its cash flow.

In addition, as a result of a television rights fee dispute that was settled in December, the Orioles and the Nationals are due to receive around $305 million each from MASN. Funding that payout may require hefty borrowing, sources say. Moreover, Comcast’s contract with MASN is set to expire at the end of February. If a deal is not reached, the TV provider would no longer broadcast Nationals and Orioles games. MASN, which has already undergone cost-cutting measures, would also lose out on valuable income.

To be fair, MASN is not alone. There is no shortage of RSNs having financial difficulty because of cord-cutting. But with the sale of the Orioles, we can see exactly how much value that pain can extract from a team-owned RSN.

[imref]

so Ted picks up the Nats and O's rights for pennies?

[Natsinpwc]

Interesting article that confirms my napkin math that MASN is worth nothing, and may actually be a liability to the O's.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeozanian/2024/02/16/why-masn-was-given-no-value-in-17--billion-sale-of-baltimore-orioles/?sh=4dbc13245e5f

Yep.  You have been on target on this.

[Senatorswin]

i can't imagine attendance / viewership will be any worse this year than it was last year, especially with Crews and Cavalli due to arrive.

Yep, I didn't think of that. People will want to see those two plus Wood and House. Theoretically anyway. 23rd last year.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Speaking of OC, anyone have any idea what in the world happened to him? I know he was somewhat disgruntled about various things with the Nats, and I believe (but am not certain) he was dealing with some health issues, but it somewhat astonishes me how he seemingly just completely dropped off the face of the Earth. I know where he used to work (maybe he still does), and I know someone else who works there, but I don't know whether she works in the same section he did, nor do I know his real name to ask her.

just stopped posting in the middle of spring training in 2022. No word. I have stopped by TBSintH and not seen him. We can hope he is in Latvia or something.

[HondoKillebrew]

Speaking of OC, anyone have any idea what in the world happened to him? I know he was somewhat disgruntled about various things with the Nats, and I believe (but am not certain) he was dealing with some health issues, but it somewhat astonishes me how he seemingly just completely dropped off the face of the Earth. I know where he used to work (maybe he still does), and I know someone else who works there, but I don't know whether she works in the same section he did, nor do I know his real name to ask her.

You could ask her if she knows of an extreme Anglophile at her workplace. 

[JCA-CrystalCity]

You could ask her if she knows of an extreme Anglophile at her workplace. 

who looked like an old Neil Young.

[PowerBoater69]

who looked like an old Neil Young.

I'd start with large muttonchops, if that doesn't do the trick she doesn't know him.

[1995hoo]

I'm pretty sure I have a picture of him up in Section 312 somewhere—I was down in the 200s one Opening Day, spotted him up there, and posted the photo to the forum. That would probably be the way to do it. It's fair to note that he worked for a large federal government agency, so the chances of someone knowing someone else are obviously questionable. (I'm deliberately not saying which one because it doesn't seem like it's my place to disclose that here.)

[1995hoo]

Speaking of OC, anyone have any idea what in the world happened to him? I know he was somewhat disgruntled about various things with the Nats, and I believe (but am not certain) he was dealing with some health issues, but it somewhat astonishes me how he seemingly just completely dropped off the face of the Earth. I know where he used to work (maybe he still does), and I know someone else who works there, but I don't know whether she works in the same section he did, nor do I know his real name to ask her.

just stopped posting in the middle of spring training in 2022. No word. I have stopped by TBSintH and not seen him. We can hope he is in Latvia or something.

I'm sorry to report that I found the answer. Go to the "In memoriam" board.

[Senatorswin]

An article by Chelsea Janes in yesterdays Post mentions 5 reasons why it might make sense for Lerner not to sell now. Here's number 5:

"The MASN situation could finally, actually end

The main reason the sale of the Orioles looms so large for the Nationals is that it wrests control of their television rights out of the hands of Peter Angelos, who was never willing to negotiate a more comfortable arrangement and litigated every dollar the Orioles owed the Nationals for television rights. It puts those rights in the hands of Rubenstein, a known entity to the Nationals and someone who, simply by virtue of not being part of the Angelos family, seems more likely to make a deal. Even Manfred, notoriously tight-lipped on the MASN situation over the years, expressed optimism."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/02/22/lerner-family-nats-why-no-sale/

[nfotiu]

If anything, the Nats have a little bit of leverage on the MASN deal now.   If the Lerners wanted to be jerks, they could threaten to hold the Os to the current terms and would be losing money on MASN.   That would just create more uncertainty and lawsuits though probably.

MASN is basically irrelevant.  It will bring in money for a few more years (if they can sign a deal with Comcast), and the two teams will agree on some kind of split of that revenue, and then it will be done as a significant money maker.

The more interesting insight in that article is this:

But Manfred has said he hopes to have a streaming service available by 2025 that would provide participating teams with cost certainty, and MLB officials believe the broadcast rights situation will settle into something more predictable in the coming years. Many teams, including the Nationals, will be more valuable when that happens. If broadcast revenue stabilizes — and the Nationals and Orioles find a way to extricate themselves from their complicated entanglement soon — the Nationals will be a more appealing asset.

If the future is having the Nats/O's in market games included in a national streaming package, then who cares about MASN.   A lot of this is going to depend on how the Bally's bankruptcy final terms to see if Manfred can get them all on-board.

[Mattionals]

If anything, the Nats have a little bit of leverage on the MASN deal now.   If the Lerners wanted to be jerks, they could threaten to hold the Os to the current terms and would be losing money on MASN.   That would just create more uncertainty and lawsuits though probably.

MASN is basically irrelevant.  It will bring in money for a few more years (if they can sign a deal with Comcast), and the two teams will agree on some kind of split of that revenue, and then it will be done as a significant money maker.

The more interesting insight in that article is this:
If the future is having the Nats/O's in market games included in a national streaming package, then who cares about MASN.   A lot of this is going to depend on how the Bally's bankruptcy final terms to see if Manfred can get them all on-board.

A streaming service is the future. I would absolutely add that package to my Youtube TV or Google TV.

[HalfSmokes]

A streaming service is the future. I would absolutely add that package to my Youtube TV or Google TV.

It depends on the price point. Unless the cost certainly is dramatically lower payouts than they currently receive, the streaming service if going to have to be pretty expensive considering how terrible rating are

[imref]

MASN reaches a deal with Comcast, the network will move to their "Ultimate" tier.

[HalfSmokes]

Looks MASN is going to have some trouble paying money they've already agreed to

[welch]

Looks MASN is going to have some trouble paying money they've already agreed to

Let the Baltimore Orioles pay. Or let MASN declare bankruptcy so MLB takes over.

[rbw5t]

What does that mean for people who watch masn on comcast. Does my cable bill go up more?

[HalfSmokes]

You need to go to a higher, more expensive, tier

[Slateman]

Pretty smart move. Cable companies will just automatically up their bill.

[Senatorswin]

I don't have Comcast but as I understand it if you were already on the Ultimate Tier you are good-to-go. If you are on the basic Tier in order to get MASN you need to upgrade to the Ultimate Tier which is $20 dollars a month more.

[HalfSmokes]

I don't have Comcast but as I understand it if you were already on the Ultimate Tier you are good-to-go. If you are on the basic Tier in order to get MASN you need to upgrade to the Ultimate Tier which is $20 dollars a month more.

More importantly, the 99% of customers on their basic tier who don’t care about MASN don’t get their bill raised to carry MASN.

[imref]

I’m now getting a message on my FiOS box that I’ve lost access to monumental.

[aspenbubba]

I have MASN on Fios. What happens next? Also just tried to access MASN website and their license expired. Cannot read Zucks articles. I wonder if the writers arr getting paid.