707 replies to this topic

[BaltBird 24]

It's absolutely ridiculous that, in 2024, you can't subscribe to MLB.tv and watch your local teams anytime, anywhere.

At least the NFL app subscription will allow you to watch your local and primetime games.

[Mackus]

It's absolutely ridiculous that, in 2024, you can't subscribe to MLB.tv and watch your local teams anytime, anywhere.

At least the NFL app subscription will allow you to watch your local and primetime games.

Agree. Though this is the last thing that keeps me from cord cutting so it's an effective approach by the cable companies.

[BaltBird 24]

Agree. Though this is the last thing that keeps me from cord cutting so it's an effective approach by the cable companies.

If I could pay for an MLB app and watch the O's as easily as I can watch the Ravens, I'd absolutely drop cable TV yesterday. Instead, I'll continue paying $180 or whatever a month for MASN.

[weird-O]

If I could pay for an MLB app and watch the O's as easily as I can watch the Ravens, I'd absolutely drop cable TV yesterday. Instead, I'll continue paying $180 or whatever a month for MASN.

Try using a VPN. Set it up to look like you're in a National League city that the O's don't play this season. Then get MLB TV. 

[BaltBird 24]

Try using a VPN. Set it up to look like you're in a National League city that the O's don't play this season. Then get MLB TV.

That's what I'm going to do. Apparently MLB can still track your address depending on which VPN service you use.

[McNulty]

Again, it’s much easier to fool the stream when you use an out of country IP

[weird-O]

That's what I'm going to do. Apparently MLB can still track your address depending on which VPN service you use.

Anything they can do to screw with the fans.

 

I'm going to try a VPN for the football season this fall. Sunday ticket, plus a monthly YouTube TV subscription is testing the limits of my wanting to watch the Ravens in Texas.

[Mike in STL]

MethStreams. Close a few pop up ads, enjoy the game.

[hallas]

It's absolutely ridiculous that, in 2024, you can't subscribe to MLB.tv and watch your local teams anytime, anywhere.

At least the NFL app subscription will allow you to watch your local and primetime games.

 

Doesn't the NFL subscription cost like 4 or 5 times as much though?

[dude]

The Orioles and Nationals announced Monday morning that their yearslong dispute regarding television rights fees from the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN) has reached a final resolution.

 

Per this morning’s press release, MASN and the Nationals have come to terms on a one-year agreement for the team’s 2025 television broadcasts. The Nats are free to explore alternative broadcast opportunities for the 2026 season and beyond. Further, this morning’s announcement plainly lays out that “all disputes related to past media rights between the Nationals, Orioles, and MASN have been resolved, and all litigation will be dismissed.”

 

I guess we'll have to wait for details to comment on this more, but wow.

 

I think resolution of the dispute is one of the more significant things Rubenstein and Co needed to resolve to separate from some of the issues of the past, but this announcement indicates a break in the relationship.

 

Personally, I think the relationship was wildly valuable to the Orioles.  There's more to consider in other details (what about the 100M in escrow?) and maybe they just renegotiate a new MASN deal with no baggage on either side.

 

If nothing else, it's wildly interesting news.....after everything....this is where we are. 

[Nigel Tufnel]

My guess is that both teams will switch to MLB tv in 2026, and there won't be any more MASN.

[dude]

My guess is that both teams will switch to MLB tv in 2026, and there won't be any more MASN.

 

They have to know the finances and opportunities better than we do, but that seems like a huge hit in potential revenue.

 

I could see a number of different things but all of the new angles are better than the litigation where they've been.

[Nigel Tufnel]

It'll be interesting to see what kind of money the Nats get for their rights, and how it compares to MASN.  I guess the only potential bidders are Monumental and MLB.

[makoman]

Noticed this on their contact us page https://www.masnsports.com/contact-us

 

2. Will MASN be DTC (Direct To Consumer) in future and not through cable provider?

Answer: MASN is working on the Direct to Consumer App, please check the MASN web site for updates

 

I definitely want this, if MASN continues to exist. Need to eliminate blackouts.

 

As for this morning's news, I guess the question is how profitable was MASN? They were paying each team something like $60M/year. Presumably the O's could still get that (or whatever the going rate is) without MASN, it's really the MASN profits we're now missing out on. I can't imagine they are that high these days as subscribers go down, but I don't know.

[BSLMikeLowe]

It'll be interesting to see what kind of money the Nats get for their rights, and how it compares to MASN.  I guess the only potential bidders are Monumental and MLB.

 

Leonsis said he intends to re-engage on purchasing the Nats, so expect they will end up on Monumental some day. Who knows, maybe the Orioles end up on there too. The RSN's best set to survive are ones in big markets and with plenty of live sports content to offer....despite what some think, DC+Balt is a pretty big market, and 4 pro sports teams in three different sports on your network probably puts you in strong enough demand to get decent carriage rates.

[BSLRoseKatz]

Leonsis said he intends to re-engage on purchasing the Nats, so expect they will end up on Monumental some day. Who knows, maybe the Orioles end up on there too. The RSN's best set to survive are ones in big markets and with plenty of live sports content to offer....despite what some think, DC+Balt is a pretty big market, and 4 pro sports teams in three different sports on your network probably puts you in strong enough demand to get decent carriage rates.

 

I think from a PR perspective the Orioles wouldn't want to play on a network that's a DC reference but I'm sure they could just rebrand it again 

[BSLMikeLowe]

I think from a PR perspective the Orioles wouldn't want to play on a network that's a DC reference but I'm sure they could just rebrand it again 

 

Perhaps, but the better money might be to go with Monumental than MLB. Also, when Leonsis first attempted to purchase the Nats Rubenstein was a member of his group, so the dots kind of connect. Maybe MASN and Monumental merge?

[weird-O]

I'm going to assume the O's media market will still extend down to the Carolinas, as it has for years. With that assumption, this is all good news. 

[1970]

Leonsis said he intends to re-engage on purchasing the Nats, so expect they will end up on Monumental some day. Who knows, maybe the Orioles end up on there too. The RSN's best set to survive are ones in big markets and with plenty of live sports content to offer....despite what some think, DC+Balt is a pretty big market, and 4 pro sports teams in three different sports on your network probably puts you in strong enough demand to get decent carriage rates.

 

I was going to post that this paves the way for Leonsis to buy the Nats.

[JeremyStrain]

Leonsis said he intends to re-engage on purchasing the Nats, so expect they will end up on Monumental some day. Who knows, maybe the Orioles end up on there too. The RSN's best set to survive are ones in big markets and with plenty of live sports content to offer....despite what some think, DC+Balt is a pretty big market, and 4 pro sports teams in three different sports on your network probably puts you in strong enough demand to get decent carriage rates.

It IS a large market when you look at it on paper, probably #3 in the country behind LA and NY.

 

It's a little different market than the other two in practicality though. We have been cursed with some of the worst owners in sports, so that doesn't help things, but this place is more transient than some other cities. Maybe it's because of the DoD stuff in the area, or the headquarters and tech corridors bringing in people from around the country, but DC is actually more like a larger version of Vegas' market from a sports viewership standpoint than say a NY.

 

Fans around here have little tolerance for losing teams, and will stop showing up if teams are playing poorly. There's a smaller core of local die hards, but those smaller cores aren't enough to act like a large market team. They need the transients, bandwagoners, and even visiting fans to really put up those big numbers.

 

This place has never really been considered a baseball town, Baltimore much moreso than DC. But DC had a brand new franchise, and a couple years of sexy top pics which led to a really good build and run for them. It's not a coincidence Bmore, even when winning hasn't been able to get back to those mid 90's attendance numbers since the Nats moved in.

 

Hockey there's only one team in town, had a great run 80s into the 90s, then rebuilt for the Ovi era and have had a great run, and they've done a good job attendance wise, but much smaller arena to sell out than say OPACY or the NFL. No way could they withstand a second team in this market like NY can with the Rangers and Islanders (and to a lesser degree NJ).

 

NFL is a unique monster, this area is very much a Football area, unlike baseball, and sustaining both the Ravens and Commanders hasn't been hard, as long as you know, they keep Dan Snyder far away from things.

 

Basketball, DC was always considered a basketball town, if you look at the Wizards thread, 1970 was talking about them and their runs, and I was talking about the near rebuilds in the 90's-today a week or two ago. It's very easy to miss in the NBA, but I think they've had a core of fans that still stick around and go even when they are horrible. It's harder to sell out and sustain a run in the NBA though, so we haven't seen anything crazy there, and I don't think we could handle a second team.