By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –Follow on X.

Verizon’s Fios this week has pulled the MASN regional sports network from some less expensive programming packages, leaving some subscribers to complain they now have to pay more to watch the TV home of the Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals.

In a statement to The TV Answer Man, a Verizon spokesperson said changes from a renewed carriage agreement with MASN went into effect on May 6, “resulting in its removal from select Fios packages. Customers were notified of these changes and MASN continues to be available in Fios packages, including Classic packages, some Custom packages, and in current in-market packages, Your, More and Most. There were no changes to the prices of other packages that carry it.

Subscribers who lost MASN in their Fios plans are lamenting on social media that Verizon customer service has informed them they will have to get a more expensive programming package to continue watching the regional sports channel.

“MASN – it is a disservice to your fans to make them pay more in order to get your channel thru Verizon. Many families cannot afford that increase so you are hurting chances of growing more baseball fans. If they can’t watch on TV, they are not coming to the ballpark,” wrote @4given9 on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“Verizon told me that they’d removed MASN from my package and that it was now only available in the ultra expensive premium package. Time for me to make the switch to Fubo,” added @quana2 .

“I watch Nats and Caps. I guess I’ll find a way to watch the Nats without Verizon or something…UGH. If I went to upgrade my account to get MASN, my bill would go from $165 to $270,” wrote @wolfpackwxv .

Verizon’s decision to remove MASN from certain less expensive plans follows Comcast moving the DC/Baltimore RSN to a higher tier in March. Pay TV services, which have seen their profits shrink due to cord cutting, are looking for ways to offset the cost of carrying expensive sports channels. By removing a channel from less expensive packages, the TV provider can reduce its carriage fees because fewer subscribers will have access to it.

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.

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.