For much of its existence, the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network, the channel that broadcasts Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals games, has been at the heart of a dispute between the two MLB franchises.

On Monday, the league announced the discord is finally coming to an end.

MASN will still broadcast both games in 2025, but starting in 2026, the Nationals will be “free to explore alternatives for their television rights,” MLB said.

Here’s why it took so long to get to this point, and what this could mean for the future of both team’s broadcasts.

Why was there a dispute?

In short, it all goes back to former owner Peter Angelos.

In 2004, when MLB owners met to finalize the relocation of the Expos from Montreal to Washington, Angelos was the only one to vote against the move because this new team, just 35 miles away from the Orioles, would encroach on Angelos’ market.

So, to compensate for that, MLB proposed the creation of MASN to broadcast Nationals and Orioles games, with the exception of postseason and national broadcasts. The Orioles would serve as the majority owner and initially own 90% of the network, with the Nationals’ stake going up by 1% starting in 2010 until it reached 33% in 2032.

Beginning after 2011, the parties were required to negotiate the TV rights fees in five-year increments. If there were any disputes, MLB’s Revenue Sharing Definitions Committee, made of of team executives, would resolve them.

The two teams have been unable to come to terms about the fair market value of the TV rights on their own, prompting litigation.

For the period from 2012 to 2016, MASN proposed paying an average of $39.5 million per year and the Nationals asked for $118 million per year. The MLB Revenue Sharing Definitions Committee determined in 2014 that the fair market value was $298.1 million, or an average of $59.6 million per year. After years of legal wrangling, the two sides came to an agreement in 2023 that MASN will pay each team $99.2 million.

The two sides again could not come to an agreement and went before the MLB Revenue Sharing Definitions Committee, this time for the period covering 2017 through 2021. In 2023, they asked a New York County Supreme Court judge to confirm an arbitration award that would see each team receive an average of more than $60.81 million per year.

In January, the Nationals took legal action to confirm a decision that would require MASN to pay the team an average of $64 million per year in TV rights fees for 2022 to 2026. The Orioles had until 5 p.m. Monday to file a response. Ultimately, they decided to end the legal battle, with the Nationals receiving an unspecified settlement.

What happens next?

Both Nationals and Orioles games will remain on MASN for the 2025 season. After that, the Nationals can do whatever they want with their broadcasts, but what that will look like is unknown.

The Nationals could work out a partnership with Monumental Sports Network, the Washington-based channel that broadcasts Capitals, Wizards and Mystics games. The network not only has the infrastructure to broadcast live sports but is also owned by Ted Leonsis, who has expressed interest in buying the Nationals.

This also gives the Nationals — and the Orioles — the freedom to explore alternative options for their broadcasts. The regional sports network landscape is changing, and MLB has already taken over the broadcasts for six teams (San Diego Padres, Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, Cleveland Guardians, Minnesota Twins and Milwaukee Brewers) with the goal of eventually obtaining rights for all 30 teams. MLB has three different price tiers — $19.99 a month to view one team without blackouts, a yearly option at $99.99, or a package of one specific team’s games and access to MLB.tv for $199.99 a year.

What will happen with MASN after 2025?

As of now, there’s no indication that anything will change for MASN. But, this could create an opportunity for something new to come.

When David Rubenstein and his ownership group bought the Orioles in 2024, they also acquired MASN and all its complications. With the Nationals set to no longer be attached, this could allow the ownership group to sell the network to get it off their hands, or completely disassemble it and allow MLB to take over. MASN, unlike other regional sports networks, does not have the rights to any other major teams, making it easier to tear down.

The network could also offer games on other streaming platforms as part of a bundle deal. Cable subscriptions have fallen off drastically over the last 10 years, cutting into profits, and MASN has not made their product readily available to cord-cutters. The network has no direct-to-consumer options — the MASN website has said for the past year that they are working on an option but it’s unclear when, or even if, that will happen — and is not available on popular streaming services such as YouTube TV. MASN does have an app that allows viewers to watch games on the go, but it is only accessible to those who already pay for a TV subscription that includes MASN. The app is also unreliable and regularly crashes mid-game.

It’s also been clear that, under previous ownership, the Orioles tried to cut costs at the network for some years by moving the production studio from Sinclair’s office in Hunt Valley to the B&O Warehouse at Camden Yards; eliminating the sideline reporter and pre-and-post game analyst role; and broadcasting spring games off other teams’ feeds so they don’t have to pay for a crew in Florida. MASN also has a thin staff — it is one of the only networks without a statistician and it has crew members do multiple jobs to fill gaps, such as one cameraman doing the pre- and post-game shows and manning the outfield.