By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –Follow on X.
Former editor of 4 TV magazines. Author of TV Dot Com.
TV Answer Man, is there anything new with the Comcast and MASN situation. Will we lose the channel before baseball season? — O’s fan, town withheld.
O’s fan, the TV Answer Man reported on February 1 that Comcast’s agreement to carry MASN, the regional TV home of the Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals, was scheduled to expire at the end of February. Well, today is the last day of February (thanks to Leap Year) and there has been no word from either company on whether a new agreement has been signed yet.
But there is something new in the Comcast-MASN situation.
Update, March 1: New deadline is now March 7.
Update #2: Comcast Signs New Deal With MASN
The cable operator overnight moved MASN from February to March on its Xfinity contract renewals page. The Xfinity site page serves as a warning to subscribers that a channel could be dropped during the month it’s listed unless a new agreement is signed. Until today, Comcast listed MASN as a channel that could be dropped in February, but now it’s March.
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Since March 1 is tomorrow, that could mean the deadline has simply been moved up a day by agreement of both Comcast and MASN. But it’s also possible the companies have negotiated a temporary agreement that could last until the end of March, or somewhere in the middle of the month. From my years of experience covering the industry, cable operators usually move the deadline on the contract renewal page after the companies have agreed on a new date.
It would not be surprising if Comcast and MASN need more time to iron out a new deal. As we also reported on February 1, Comcast likely wants to move the regional sports channel to a more expensive programming package, as it did recently with Root Sports and SportsNet Pittsburgh. MASN might be resisting this because it would mean fewer Comcast viewers would have access to the channel, which means that MASN’s carriage fees would be reduced. (See this article on why Comcast might want MASN in a higher tier.)
The TV Answer Man has asked Comcast for an explanation for the change on the contract renewal page and will report back here if we get more information.
Update: A Comcast spokesperson this morning told The TV Answer Man that “we’re still in discussions.” Asked if the deadline has been extended, she said: “I can only confirm we’re still in discussions.”
Update #2, March 1: New deadline is now March 7.
Until then, happy viewing and stay safe!
Have a question about new TV technologies? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvanswerman.com Please include your first name and hometown in your message.
The TV Answer Man is veteran journalist Phillip Swann who has covered the TV technology scene for more than three decades. He will report on the latest news and answer your questions regarding new devices and services that are changing the way you watch television. See the bio for Phillip Swann here.
