668 replies to this topic

[BSLMikeLowe]

Doubt it. Have you seen Mid-Atlantic sports report and Wall to Wall Baseball, which look and sound like they are straight out of the 1970s. Are those shows even in HD?

 

No. Outside of games on MLBTV I can't access MASN here, and I'm not the least bit upset about it. Obviously the business model the network operates under, getting paid per subscriber whether any of them watch or not, gives them no incentive at all to create watchable programming.

 

And the more the O's themselves suck, the less-inclined Baltimore cable subscribers are going to be to keep their TV packages just for MASN, assuming they can get whatever else they want through some other source. Of course on the flip side Nats fans, having just celebrated a WS, probably aren't in a hurry to cut the cord. Whatever he's up to these days, Pete is probably still laughing his way to the bank over the deal MLB handed him.

[Nigel Tufnel]

No surprise, but the O's lost the appeal.

 

https://www.baltimor...ykdy-story.html

 

 

The arbitration panel’s 2019 award challenged by the Orioles amounted to about $20 million in additional fees to be paid to the Nationals for each of five years — 2012 through 2016. The money would be on top of the $197.6 million that the Nationals already received from MASN from 2012 to 2016.

 

The Nationals might not receive that much if they ultimately win the case. That’s because the network might be permitted to restate its financial results for those five years, reducing its profit to pay the higher TV rights fees. The more money MASN pays in rights fees, the less it has available for profit sharing with the clubs.

[dude]

No surprise, but the O's lost the appeal.

 

https://www.baltimor...ykdy-story.html

 

I can't read the Sun, but I'm a little surprised by this.  I don't know how you provide the award and not go back and re-figure the contractual obligations of the existing deal.

 

The only way that works is if the settlement was considered adjusted, so the pre-adjusted award was 150M or something like that.

 

Big blow to the Angelos family if they have to come up with real short term money.

[Nigel Tufnel]

The article did say that the $100M could be reduced, since the Nats received profit distributions from MASN during those years, and MASN's profits just dropped by $200M.  Also, it sounds like there are still two rounds of appeals left.

[dude]

The article did say that the $100M could be reduced, since the Nats received profit distributions from MASN during those years, and MASN's profits just dropped by $200M.  Also, it sounds like there are still two rounds of appeals left.

 

...so this is just the appeal on the 100M ruling?  Orioles are going to lose that one.

 

They should win an appeal on what the 100M actually looks like (and you go back and reallocate everything).

 

Regardless, they'll likely get all the time they can to delay payment.

[Mike B]

We should pay them a dollar a year for the next million years.  The Nats and MLB cut a deal with Angelos years ago to get DC a team and have been backing out ever since.

Screw them both.

[BSLChrisStoner]

Bump.

[BSLChrisStoner]

Balt Sun: Judge denies Nationals’ request to order Orioles-controlled MASN to pay $23 million into escrow

https://www.baltimor...IOvcBMXw3cPPffY

[BSLMikeLowe]

Maybe now the Orioles can afford the 58-cent postage stamp needed to send that OPACY Anniversary invitation to Adam Jones that's been sitting in the outbox for weeks. Better hurry though, come July the price of that stamp will go up to 60 cents.

[Nigel Tufnel]

It doesn't seem like a great idea to pay $26,000 a day in interest for a case that you're eventually going to lose, but what do I know?

[Nigel Tufnel]

Interesting to see if anything comes of this.  I wonder how much the O's would want to release the Nats from MASN.  This stems from Leonsis buying back NBC Sports Washington (formerly Comcast Sportsnet / HTS) from Comcast the other day.

 

Talk Nats @TalkNats

 

Source: Leonsis/Monumental will now try to buy-out the #Nats portion of the TV rights from MASN. MLB tried to broker this before and it didn't work. Could Angelos get it done? Who knows. It would give O's immediate cashflow to be a big player in free agency. Smart for both sides.

[You Play to Win the Game]

Firmly reject the premise they need to do this to have cash to be big players in free agency. Good lord. Where do they come up with this stuff.

That said, I think it’d be best for all involved if an equitable agreement can be reached.

[BradJohnson]

No, they can't possibly need cash. They made $251MM in revenue last season, and that'll be up around $300MM this year. Which doesn't include hidden revenues like concerts, associated properties, etc. They got $1.2B for stadium refurbishments last year (split 50/50 with M&T). Payroll is $63MM. Operating the venue is probably in the $20MM range - though with that fat grant from MD, I wonder if it's really $0. Venues often cost more than that to operate, but MD bends over backwards to give the Orioles cash. Call additional expenses $25MM-$50MM. Basically, they're banking somewhere around $200MM in cold profit.

 

They can spend.

[BSLMikeLowe]

Yeah, the Orioles don't need cash from selling off the Nats' share of MASN to increase payroll. And even if they did, I remain just as skeptical that they would increase payroll anyway.

 

Long-term, it would be a bad move for the health of the franchise too. Much as I'm sure everyone not-named Angelos would like to see this happen, as long as the Nats' are bound by contract to MASN, I doubt they are going anywhere.

[weird-O]

If selling the Nats rights doesn't mean DC is now a Nats only market, then do it. If the O's lose Montgomery county down into the Carolinas, no thanks. 

[BSLMikeLowe]

If selling the Nats rights doesn't mean DC is now a Nats only market, then do it. If the O's lose Montgomery county down into the Carolinas, no thanks. 

 

Officially speaking, that would not happen. MLB determines what markets teams have "rights " to. However, what it might do is make cable operators in the DC/VA/NC markets drop MASN from their lineups, depending on how many people down there are watching the Orioles vs the Nats. The network might end up on a "sports tier" (which almost certainly means less money overall in carriage fees) or worse yet MASN is not offered at all.

[weird-O]

Officially speaking, that would not happen. MLB determines what markets teams have "rights " to. However, what it might do is make cable operators in the DC/VA/NC markets drop MASN from their lineups, depending on how many people down there are watching the Orioles vs the Nats. The network might end up on a "sports tier" (which almost certainly means less money overall in carriage fees) or worse yet MASN is not offered at all.

Well, if the cable companies were to drop MASN, there's no one to blame but the Angelos family. 

[DuffMan]

https://thedailyreco...jhpkFUl5GJkDQww

 

The thread that was started back in 2014 has another update!

[Ravens2006]

No. Outside of games on MLBTV I can't access MASN here, and I'm not the least bit upset about it. Obviously the business model the network operates under, getting paid per subscriber whether any of them watch or not, gives them no incentive at all to create watchable programming...

 

That's what always bugged me about MASN from day one.  But it's an Angelos run business, so we've learned to not be surprised by it.

 

Yes, the sheer existence of MASN guaranteed a certain amount of profit no matter what they put on it.  And while viewing avenues are evolving, ratings did carry big weight for most of MASN's existence, and they still do with advertisers they just have additional outlets to get their ads in front of eyes now. 

 

The delay in standing up full HD for all broadcasts was a joke. The lack of programming was a joke.  Simulcasting ESPNews all the time was a joke.  Fast forward to recent times, their delay in sending broadcasters back out on the road and using COVID as an EXCUSE was a joke (and only about saving some money).  The MASN app failures are a joke.  Everything they've done with the network for the most part has been a joke.  And yet a faucet of money stays open because of it. 

 

I've said it before, but I'd love to have someone explain why they can't / won't broadcast more if not all of their spring training games... I mean, you want to sell the fanbase on the idea of this farm system being the answer to all life's problems... show these kids in spring training every single day.  Have a local college broadcast / media program do a barebones broadcast, let the next generation of aspiring broadcasters get an on the job training / internship they never imagined doing while in college. A few cameras and camera operators, an announcer, color commentator, and a "dugout" reporter.  Doesn't have to be ESPN Sunday night baseball quality product... but I'm sure it could be as watchable production-wise as any number of those high channel number sports networks that carry non-big-four sports and west coast Division 5 college games.    Show it live, or show an edited condensed version every night at 7 (thus removing some gaffes, glitches, or awkward moments the "rookie" broadcast crew might have).  Or do both live and edited later.

 

Basically, it would be nice if they did ANYTHING a little extra once in a while to give the fans something... but of course it will never, ever happen with an Angelos name on the paperwork.  In the meantime, enjoy the caravans and please bring money to pay for any autographs or face time with a player.

[BaltBird 24]

Does MASN have any actual programming that anyone would watch besides the O's/Nationals games? I always feel like I'm watching 1990's HTS when I flip through the channels and land on MASN.