The Washington Nationals are officially moving on from the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN), marking the end of a long and often contentious chapter in the team’s broadcast history. Starting this season, Major League Baseball will take over the in-market distribution of Nationals games, streaming them through MLB.tv and via to-be-announced cable and satellite partnerships.
For Nationals fans, this marks a significant shift in how they’ll watch their team - and for the franchise, it’s a long-awaited fresh start.
A New Era for Nationals Broadcasting
“Today’s announcement represents a new chapter for Washington Nationals baseball,” said team owner Mark Lerner in a statement. “Partnering with MLB offers us several new opportunities that will greatly improve the on-air product, including technological enhancements, the ability to work more closely with our broadcasters, and create added opportunities for our valued corporate partners.”
This move ends a nearly two-decade relationship with MASN, a network that’s been as much a source of frustration as it has been a broadcast partner. Since the Nationals moved to D.C. from Montreal in 2005, they’ve shared MASN with the Baltimore Orioles - a setup that was never exactly built on harmony.
A Rocky Partnership Comes to a Close
The root of the tension? Ownership and control.
As part of the Nationals’ relocation deal, the Orioles retained majority ownership of MASN, effectively giving them control over the Nationals’ broadcast rights. That arrangement led to years of legal battles and arbitration over rights fees - disputes that not only strained the relationship between the two franchises but also complicated the Lerner family’s efforts to sell the team in 2022.
The friction was so intense it even spilled onto the baseball field - or rather, off of it. The Nationals and Orioles didn’t make a single trade during that time, a rarity for two clubs that share a region and could have benefitted from occasional collaboration.
A Reset, Thanks to New Ownership in Baltimore
The stalemate finally broke when David Rubenstein purchased the Orioles from the Angelos family. That ownership change opened the door to a resolution.
In March of last year, the two sides reached a deal that not only settled past disputes but also set the rights fees for the 2025 season. Crucially, it gave the Nationals the freedom to explore new broadcast options starting in 2026 - and they’ve wasted no time doing just that.
Nationals Join a Growing Trend
Washington isn’t alone in turning its broadcast future over to MLB. They’re now the seventh team to do so, joining the Diamondbacks, Padres, Twins, Guardians, Rockies, and Mariners. All of those clubs have taken similar steps after the collapse of their previous regional sports network (RSN) deals.
The common thread? Financial instability.
Many of those teams were tied to Main Street Sports, the company behind the FanDuel Sports (formerly Bally Sports) networks. But Main Street has struggled to meet its financial obligations, recently missing payments to both the Marlins and Cardinals.
That triggered a mass exodus, with all nine MLB teams partnered with Main Street pulling out of their contracts last week.
Main Street is now looking for a buyer and has signaled plans to shut down operations after the NBA and NHL seasons wrap up. That would leave nine MLB teams in limbo heading into the heart of the baseball calendar. The company is reportedly trying to renegotiate three-year deals with MLB clubs that would stretch through 2028, potentially using a hybrid model that combines fixed fees with revenue sharing - a nod to the rapidly changing landscape as more fans cut the cord.
What This Means for the Nationals and Their Fans
For the Nationals, this move is about control, flexibility, and future-proofing. By stepping away from MASN and aligning with MLB’s centralized broadcast model, the team gains more say in how its games are presented and distributed. That could mean better production quality, more modern technology, and a more consistent viewing experience for fans - whether they’re watching at home or on the go.
It also opens the door to new sponsorship opportunities and corporate partnerships, something Lerner alluded to in his statement. In a media environment where every dollar counts, that kind of flexibility could be a game-changer.
For fans, the biggest question is how this impacts access. MLB has yet to announce the full slate of cable and satellite partnerships, but the inclusion of MLB.tv for in-market games is a promising sign. It points to a future where streaming is no longer blacked out locally - a long-standing gripe among baseball fans - and where watching your team is as simple as opening an app.
Bottom Line
The Nationals’ decision to part ways with MASN isn’t just a broadcast shuffle - it’s the culmination of years of behind-the-scenes tension and a clear signal that the franchise is ready to take control of its media future. As the RSN model continues to falter, more teams are following suit, and MLB is stepping in to fill the void.
For Washington, this is more than a business move. It’s a reset. A chance to leave the past behind and reimagine what Nationals baseball looks and sounds like for the next generation of fans.