Nats Go On Satellite TV

Friday, Apr. 29, 2005

Washington Nationals games began airing on DirecTV on Friday night, after the satellite television provider agreed to a deal with the MidAtlantic Sports Network.
The deal puts a total of 135 Nationals games on DirecTV this season: 68 through MASN, and 67 available on local channel WDCA.

As part of the deal, DirecTV will carry MASN on a 24-hour basis as of March 1, 2006.

MASN, a regional network, was formed last month by the Baltimore Orioles and Major League Baseball, which owns the Nationals. The plan is to air both teams' games starting in 2007.

Last week, Comcast SportsNet sued the Orioles and MASN over television rights to Orioles games. In a suit filed in Montgomery County Circuit Court in Rockville, Comcast asked that the Orioles, MASN and Major League Baseball be prevented from negotiating or licensing local pay TV rights to Orioles games because Comcast holds such rights through the 2006 season.

The deal with DirecTV "frees Comcast's stranglehold on Nationals games," MASN spokesman Vince Wladika said. "It gives Nats fans an alternative to see all the games they want.

Satellite TV Industry News & Happenings