Nationals’ TV Future in Flux as MASN Deal Nears Expiration
Just when it seemed like the Washington Nationals’ long-running TV saga with MASN couldn’t get messier, 2024 brought another curveball. Major League Baseball announced in January that the Nationals’ annual rights fee from MASN would drop significantly-from $72.8 million in 2023 to roughly $58.3 million for both the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
That’s a $14.5 million annual hit, and $29 million in total over two years. For a franchise navigating a rebuild and looking to position itself for long-term stability, that’s not pocket change.
But there was a glimmer of clarity amid the chaos. It was also revealed that 2025 would be the final year of the Nationals’ current contract with MASN-unless both sides agree to extend it. That decision looms large, with the deal set to expire on December 31.
As of last week, no new agreement had been reached. Baltimore Orioles President of Business Operations, Catie Griggs, confirmed in an interview that the two sides had yet to finalize terms.
“We worked together in a different way than we had been able to previously,” Griggs said. “At this point, we are waiting for [the Nationals] to give us a final decision of where they will be next season.”
The Bigger Picture: MLB’s Long-Term Vision
The uncertainty around the Nationals’ next move isn’t happening in a vacuum. MLB has made it clear that it’s eyeing a league-run broadcasting model by 2029-one that could centralize control of media rights and potentially shift the landscape for how fans consume games. Add to that the expiration of the current collective bargaining agreement after the 2026 season, and it’s easy to see why long-term deals are being approached with caution.
So where could the Nationals turn in 2026 and beyond?
There are three primary options on the table:
- Stick with MASN - The familiar, if not always friendly, partner.
- Join MLB’s Regional Streaming Venture with ESPN - A growing effort that already includes the Padres, Mariners, Diamondbacks, Guardians, Twins, and Rockies for the 2026-2028 window.
- Move to Monumental Sports Network - The local media powerhouse owned by Ted Leonsis, which already controls the Capitals, Wizards, and Mystics broadcasts.
Monumental’s Complicated Courtship
Monumental Sports Network feels like a natural fit on paper. It’s a regional giant, with reach stretching from Pennsylvania to the Carolinas and a streaming platform that offers global access. Monumental already delivers year-round content for its winter sports franchises and has been vocal about its desire to expand into baseball to fill the spring and summer void.
But there’s a catch.
Earlier this year, Ted Leonsis, Monumental’s CEO, made it clear that acquiring the Nationals’ TV rights only makes financial sense to him if he owns the team. Speaking candidly, Leonsis said, “How am I going to write them a big check?
It’s not like the distributors are saying, ‘We’ll write you a bigger check.’ If I own the team, then it might make sense, right?
Because we have a platform, and the big move is to go direct to consumer.”
That’s a bold statement, especially considering Monumental’s scale and infrastructure. The network already boasts a 14-station Capitals Radio Network across the Mid-Atlantic and a streaming service that’s built for volume. Adding baseball to the mix would undoubtedly boost value-for both the network and its distributors.
Leonsis has long been linked to the Nationals, both as a prospective buyer and as a media partner. His comments suggest that while the desire is still there, the economics of a rights-only deal may not align with Monumental’s current strategy-unless ownership of the team is part of the package.
A Business Play or a Waiting Game?
Leonsis hasn’t been shy about his ambitions. At the Sports Business Journal’s “Dealmakers” conference in 2023, he emphasized the importance of year-round programming, pointing to the Madison Square Garden Network’s success in New York as a model-even without baseball. But he’s also repeatedly stated that baseball would be the missing piece to complete Monumental’s media puzzle.
“Adding that team is really important to the business,” Leonsis said in a September interview. “We own the winter sports.
We own the network. We own the venues.”
And in October, he told Bethesda Magazine that baseball would double the number of games and help position Washington as a top-tier sports market. “You can see, from a business standpoint, that’s important,” he said. “I look at the business side as a way to generate the resources and dollars to position us as a big, important market, where I think we should be.”
So what’s the holdup?
Despite being partners in Monumental Sports, the Nationals-still owned by the Lerner family-appear focused on maximizing the value of their media rights, regardless of who’s writing the check. Whether that leads them back to MASN, into MLB’s evolving streaming ecosystem, or into a broader deal with Monumental remains to be seen.
What Comes Next
With the MASN contract set to expire in just days, a decision could come quickly. The Nationals have a rare opportunity to reshape how their games are delivered to fans-not just for 2026, but potentially for the next decade. Whether they choose stability, innovation, or a strategic partnership that could eventually lead to new ownership, one thing is clear: the next move will say a lot about where this franchise sees itself in the ever-changing sports media landscape.
Stay tuned. This story is far from over.