When It Comes To Spring Training Coverage, MASN Strikes Out
May 28, 2013; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals shortstop
Ian Desmond(20) scores a run during the eighth inning as Baltimore Orioles catcher
Matt Wieters(32) is unable to apply the tag at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit:
Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Mid-Atlantic Sports Network, which broadcasts both the Orioles and the Nationals games, has televised very few spring training games. This is no change from the network’s previous practice. Each year I hope MASN gets its act together, and each year I am disappointed.
You would think a “network” created by Peter Angelos, owner of the Orioles and holder of the Nationals broadcast rights (thanks MLB for that) would show every spring training game. There is no reason not to. MASN has two teams to cover, and two sets of games to broadcast almost every day during spring training.
But MASN doesn’t bother to show most of the games.
This is inexplicable and inexcusable. It is also cutting MASN’s potential revenue and exposure.
I’m sure readers of this site have been watching MLB Network during spring training to see games and get the latest baseball news. On MLB Network, they show three or four games a day. But MLB Network doesn’t use it’s own broadcast resources to show these games. They pick up the feed from the local sports networks that are broadcasting their team’s games.
This is why you feel like the Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, and Diamondbacks games are on MLB just about every day. Those teams broadcast every spring training game. MLB can just pay a fee to broadcast the feed and have wall to wall games on their network during spring training. It’s a good deal for both partners.
I’m sitting here right now as I write this watching the Orioles play Tampa Bay. This game is on MLB Network because they are picking up the feed from the Tampa Bay Rays broadcast. It’s not the MASN feed. MASN isn’t broadcasting the game. Right now MASN 1 is showing a repeat of an Orioles game from last May as an Orioles Classic, and MASN 2 is broadcasting Powershares Champions Series Tennis–also a repeat.
Sure, it will cost MASN something to send their broadcast teams down to Florida for a full month and broadcast every game. Peter Angelos has never understood you have to spend money to make money. Getting ratings up by showing games increases ad revenue. MASN can get paid for the rights for MLB network to show Orioles and Nationals games. How can MASN expect to be taken seriously as a regional sports network if they can’t broadcast the spring training games for the two MLB teams to which MASN has the rights?
Major League Baseball pressuring Angelos to sell the network to Fox Sports can’t happen soon enough. At least Fox Sports would broadcast all of the Nats and Orioles spring training games.