Baltimore Orioles Sale Could Alter TV Arrangement With Nationals

Major League Baseball has the power to use the Baltimore Orioles' sale to completely alter the team's shared deal with Washington.

Of all of the repercussions involved in the sale of the Baltimore Orioles it’s possible that the Orioles’ TV arrangement with the Washington Nationals could be altered completely.

Per Matt Weyrich of the Baltimore Sun, along with other members of the media, interviewed MLB commissioner Rob Manfred on Thursday on a variety of topics. During the interview, he uncovered a bit of information that could be relevant to both franchises.

Per the Sun, the league can actually force the Orioles to relinquish ownership of the Nationals’ television rights as part of the sale approval.

MLB and the other 29 nine owners still have to approve the agreed-upon sale between the Angelos family, the current owners, and a group led by by David Rubenstein and Mike Arougheti, two private equity billionaires, for $1.725 billion.

Manfred did not say if the league would exercise their power to alter the current arrangement between the Orioles and the Nationals.

So how did this happen? Each MLB team has a designated market area that is exclusive to them. The Orioles have had theirs for decades — until the Nationals moved from Montreal in 2005.

Both teams co-own the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network, which is the broadcast home for both teams. When the network was formed, the Orioles owned 90% of it and the Nationals owned 10%. Each year, the Nationals get another one percent of ownership.

There are other reported complications, too. The Lerner family owns the Nationals and they’re trying to sell. The MASN deal is reportedly a complication. Neither side particularly enjoys the arrangement, as evidenced by tempestuous negotations a decade ago.

One thing that could solve the issue is if Ted Leonsis, who owns three D.C.-based sports franchises, buys the Nats. He owns his own television network, Monumental Sports Network. He could simply acquire the Nats’ rights from MASN.

But the commissioner could also solve the problem, if he chooses, as part of the sale process.