RSN's command the fees they get from cable/satellite by offering them exclusivity. If they break from that model and start offering consumers another reason to cut the cord the cable/satellite companies aren't going to accept their current fee structure or sit around and watch their business continuing to slide into oblivion..
Exactly. They are a bit of a double edged sword though to those cable companies. All the sports channels are what makes them so expensive. So while they are a reason for some to stay, they are also a reason for many of the people to cut the cord. They are killing the video side profits for cable and telcos too, and many are starting to boot the RSNs.
MASN is a complicated mess though. I think Comcast is still federally mandated to carry them, so they couldn't really do much. Another interesting developing story is if the Sinclair sports nets go bankrupt, and a lot of teams lose their tv deals, or have to take big cuts, what does that do to the next reset for the Nats fees?