The battle to get Nationals games on TV has entered a new phase and D.C. fans should be a bit more optimistic.
Let’s start with soon-to-be Nationals President Stan Kasten, the newest member of the MASN team. His cable sports background includes being a member of TBS and helping to develop the Braves’ Turner South regional cable network.
A number of sources tell me it is likely Major League Baseball President Bob DuPuy, Orioles and MASN owner Peter Angelos, Kasten and Comcast representatives will sit down this week and start talking deal points.
A key point is MLB has something Comcast wants. Mr. DuPuy may offer the cable giant something it can’t refuse in an effort to help MASN get either a deal or a merger.
Comcast owns the Outdoor Life Network, home of NHL hockey and Tour de France throughout the Lance Armstrong years.
Ah, but OLN really craves major sports programming and would love to add a package of MLB games to its 2007 roster. The network is changing its name to Verses in September, dropping OLN.
If Comcast could find a way to carry or more likely pull off some sort of merger with MASN, a package of Thursday night baseball games could be sold to Verses for the 2007 season. Last summer, baseball announced a cable deal with ESPN but left the door open for another cable partner to assume a one-night-a-week package. Comcast wants that package.
A deal between MASN and Comcast is coming and not only has to ensure the Nationals total coverage; it also must guarantee the Orioles coverage beyond 2007. That way the Mid-Atlantic region gets equal access to both teams. Both teams would have guaranteed revenue streams to keep them competitive for years. It is why MASN was created in the first place.
A national baseball package sold to Verses could lead to a new MASN/CSN merged baseball network. The newly merged network would have two channels to serve all the pro and college sports programming.
It’s time to get creative, people.
