The Washington Nationals are reportedly joining MLB’s media package next season; DAZN could potentially ask teams in the Main Street Sports Group portfolio to accept lower rights fees as it pursues a potential acquisition of the company, according to Sports Business Journal; and Cumulus has received a preliminary injunction against Nielsen. Plus news on Gene Deckerhoff, Kate Scott, Sean McDonough and Richard Deitsch.
Nationals said to be joining MLB media package, MASN contract ongoing through February
The Washington Nationals said Friday that they remain under contract with MASN through February, but otherwise did not confirm or deny a report by the TalkNats blog that they will be leaving the RSN and having their games produced and distributed by Major League Baseball this coming season. (TalkNats had originally reported that the MASN contract had already expired.) A source with knowledge of the situation said that MLB would be ready to add the Nationals to its existing portfolio of in-house productions if the team were to come into the fold.
Chelsea Janes of The Washington Post reported Friday that if the Nationals decide to work with the league on producing and distributing games, her understanding is that the team would “receive whatever revenue they get from any cable deals and streaming [subscribers].” There has not been a public announcement on future plans, but the organization is able to “explore alternatives” following the end of the contract term. The exact end date for the current pact is Saturday, Feb. 28, one week after the team commences its spring training game schedule.
MASN has televised Nationals games locally since its inception in 2005, but the Baltimore Orioles were granted a “supermajority partnership interest” in the regional sports network. Both franchises resolved a protracted dispute pertaining to MASN last year that dismissed “all litigation” after the Nationals believed MASN was not paying fair market value for its television rights.
The Nationals broadcasts will have a new sound in 2026 after veteran play-by-play announcer Bob Carpenter retired following 20 seasons behind the microphone. Carpenter had called games for the franchise since its second season in Washington, D.C., chronicling stars such as Ryan Zimmerman, Stephen Strasburg and Gio Gonzalez. The team has not yet announced who will be taking over the role next season and beyond.
DAZN reportedly “will conceivably ask teams” in MSSG portfolio to accept reduced rights fees
DAZN could potentially ask teams who have local broadcasting agreements with Main Street Sports Group “to accept reduced rights fees” as part of its potential acquisition of the company, according to Mike Mazzeo and Tom Friend of Sports Business Journal. Even at a reduced rate, DAZN believes rights fees would exceed anything the teams could generate from alternative arrangements. Sources cited in the report claim that if more than 10 teams opt out because of concerns, it “might jeopardize the deal.”
It was previously reported that Main Street would cease operations following the NBA and NHL seasons if the sale to DAZN does not close in January. Major League Baseball teams could then presumably opt for producing and distributing their own telecasts or have the league do it for them. ESPN holds the local, in-market streaming rights to MLB teams whose broadcasts are managed by the league, a figure that currently stands at six.
This past November, Main Street announced that the Cincinnati Reds, Kansas City Royals and Milwaukee Brewers exercised options to extend their agreements. Main Street reportedly missed a scheduled payment to the St. Louis Cardinals in December, and the organization recently stated to SBJ that it was working with MSSG, MLB and others regarding “alternatives for local media distribution.”
The sale to DAZN “could be wrapped up as soon as January,” per Evan Drellich of The Athletic. If such an outcome comes to fruition, it would occur around a year after then-Diamond Sports Group exited Ch. 11 bankruptcy proceedings amid new deals with distributors, a naming rights pact with FanDuel and commercial agreement with Amazon. The exit, which became official early last January, also involved reducing about $9 billion of its pre-petition debt to $200 million and possessing “a significantly deleveraged balance sheet.”
Cumulus receives preliminary injunction against Nielsen
Cumulus Media has been granted a preliminary injunction against Nielsen, preventing the measurement company from enforcing a policy that ties access to national radio ratings based on the purchase of local data. In addition, Nielsen is being blocked from “charging a commercially unreasonable rate for its Nationwide Report as a complete, standalone product.”
Cumulus alleged that Nielsen was using the “‘tying policy’ to illegally maintain its monopoly power over both local and national radio ratings data,” something that would be in violation of Section 2 of the Sherman Antitrust Act. In its original lawsuit filed in October 2025 with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, it claimed that the policy would cause Westwood One to be unable to access national data unless Cumulus subscribed to Nielsen local ratings data in those shared markets.
U.S. District Court Judge Jeanette Vargas determined that Cumulus “satisfied its burden of demonstrating that a preliminary injunction is necessary to prevent irreparable harm” and that it “has a strong likelihood of succeeding on the merits in this case.” The order, which was enacted after “conducting an evidentiary hearing and considering the extensive record in this case,” will remain in effect throughout the litigation unless modified by the court.
The order claims that “a rate that is equal to or lower than” the highest 2026 annual figure Nielsen charges a broadcaster, national or local, is presumed reasonable. This limitation on pricing occurs as TVision recently filed an antitrust counterclaim against Nielsen in which it alleged that the company has about 90% of market share in television audience measurement services. TVision wrote that Nielsen sues potential competing companies “to intimidate, harass, deter, and drain the resources” of these firms.
Plus: Gene Deckerhoff, Sean McDonough, Richard Deitsch, David O’Brien
- Gene Deckerhoff is finishing his tenure as the radio play-by-play announcer for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, officially retiring at the conclusion of the team’s season. Deckerhoff has called Buccaneers football for 37 seasons, the third-longest duration announcing games for an NFL franchise, and is going to be behind the microphone as the team vies for a playoff berth in Week 18.
- Kate Scott will call her first national NBA game for NBC Sports on Monday as the New York Knicks face the Detroit Pistons at 7 PM on Peacock and NBCSN. Scott, who broadcasts Philadelphia 76ers games locally on NBC Sports Philadelphia, will be calling the Eastern Conference matchup with analyst Grant Hill and courtside reporter Ashley ShahAhmadi.
- ESPN play-by-play announcer Sean McDonough has been named the national sportscaster of the year by the National Sports Media Association, receiving the news during a meeting ahead of the Allstate Sugar Bowl. McDonough, who calls NHL and CFB games for the network, had been a finalist for the award previously and will be formally honored in June.
- Longtime sports media reporter Richard Deitsch said on social media that his last day with The Athletic was on December 31, wrapping up his seven-year stint with the digital publication. Deitsch is continuing to host his sports media-focused podcast while also taking on new opportunities in the United States and Canada.
