Court of Appeals to Hear Long-Running Dispute Between Orioles and Nationals over TV Rights Fees
The New York Court of Appeals has agreed to hear the long-running dispute between the Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals over television rights fees, reports The Associated Press.
The court, the highest in the state, on Sept. 2 granted the the Orioles’ motion for permission to appeal.
According to the AP, “MASN was established in March 2005 after the Montreal Expos relocated to Washington and became the Nationals, moving into what had been Baltimore’s exclusive broadcast territory since 1972. The Orioles have a controlling interest in the network.
“MASN paid the Nationals for 2012-16 what the Orioles proposed: $197.5 million. Washington argued it should be paid $475 million.
“An arbitration panel of baseball executives — Pittsburgh Pirates President Frank Coonelly, Tampa Bay Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg and New York Mets chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon — heard the case in 2012 and ruled in 2014 that the Nationals were owed $298.1 million.
“The Orioles appealed and that decision was thrown out by a New York Supreme Court justice, who ruled a law firm representing the Nationals was conflicted because it had worked for clubs of executives on the panel.”
More here.
