After years of clamoring from sections of the fan base who had cut cable, the Orioles and Nationals will be available in a direct-to-consumer package. Starting Monday, the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network will be available for streaming via MASN+.

The direct-to-consumer model is available to fans for $19.99 per month or $89.99 for the remainder of the season.

“We’re well aware that this is something that has been a gap for our fans,” said Catie Griggs, the Orioles’ president of business operations. “Fans haven’t been quiet that this is something that they’ve been wanting. Definitely early on, it was an obvious thing that we knew we were going to need to address.”

The Orioles and Nationals are two of the final teams to offer a streaming option for people who do not subscribe to cable. Washington will remain on MASN through at least the end of the season and potentially longer; the legal dispute between the Nationals and Orioles over television rights was resolved in March, and Washington can pursue its own television rights package for 2026 and beyond.

In the meantime, MASN+ will allow fans without cable to watch Orioles and Nationals games in market without blackouts. Streaming is available through MASNSports.com or via the MASN app on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Roku. Griggs added that, based on feedback, MASN+ could be available on further devices in the future.

“First things first, having this capability was really important for us, for fans of both the Orioles and Nationals,” Griggs said. “We wanted to give good viewing options and access for both fan bases. We would love to continue to be a good production partner for the Nationals beyond this season, but those discussions are in the future.”

Griggs joined the Orioles from the Seattle Mariners last summer, and in that time she has orchestrated an overhaul of the business operations department under new ownership. Part of the moves involved shifting longtime Orioles executive Greg Bader to become MASN’s executive vice president and general manager.

“Our goal is to connect all fans to the excitement of Orioles and Nationals baseball,” Bader said in a statement. “MASN+ allows O’s and Nats fans throughout the Mid-Atlantic who have elected to cut the cord to view their favorite team’s games and all that MASN has to offer.”

The future of regional sports networks is murky. Major League Baseball has taken over broadcasts for six teams (San Diego Padres, Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, Cleveland Guardians, Minnesota Twins and Milwaukee Brewers), and the league is eyeing a path toward handling broadcasts for all 30 teams.

The number of MASN subscribers has dropped in recent years, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence, from 5.6 million in 2018 to 3.3 million in 2023. Still, as the team has grown more competitive after its rebuilding era, the TV ratings for the Orioles have increased. Last year, Nielsen data distributed by MASN showed viewership numbers for the first half of 2024 were 35% higher than they were in the first half of 2023.

The Nationals and Orioles have long been tied by MASN, which began in 2005 as a consolation for then-Orioles owner Peter Angelos when MLB moved the Expos from Montreal into the region to become the Nationals. The deal initially gave the Orioles 90% of the network’s profits, while the Nationals received 10%. Each year, the Orioles’ share decreased by one percentage point. The breakdown was scheduled to settle at 67% to 33%.

Disputes began soon after the formation of the network, but the resolution of all legal issues in March ushered in the future. And part of that future is MASN+.

“We’ve got a very large team coming in to work on Monday and Tuesday in anticipation of this,” Griggs said. “It was really important to us to get this as soon as possible, and we’re excited that we’re getting to launch on an off day and then Tuesday we get our two teams to play each other.”