By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –Follow on X.
Former editor of 4 TV magazines. Author of TV Dot Com.
TV Answer Man, what’s the latest on the Comcast and MASN negotiations? Did they settle? The channel is still on. — Grady, town withheld.
Grady, 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. But The TVAnswer Man reported yesterday morning that it appeared a short-term extension had been agreed to, moving the deadline into March. And The Baltimore Sun last night confirmed that with a report saying the new agreement deadline is March 7.
Update, March 8, 4 a.m. ET: There has been no word from either Comcast or MASN on the status of the negotiations. As of 4 a.m. ET, MASN remains on Comcast.
Update #2: Comcast Signs New Deal With MASN
See more news and TV tech features at TVAnswerMan.com.
It’s not surprising that 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 wants MASN in a higher tier.)
John Ourand of The Puck reported last night that the two sides are far apart. If a new deal is not signed by March 7, it could mean that MASN will not be available on one of the two largest pay TV services in the Baltimore/Washington, D.C. area. (DIRECTV is the other.)
The TV Answer Man will continue to monitor this situation and report back here if anything significant changes. 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.
