Orioles-Nats TV dispute back before baseball committee
NEW YORK — The dispute between the Washington Nationals and Baltimore Orioles over television rights fees returned to a committee of baseball executives Thursday after a lengthy court fight.
The sides began arguing their cases before the Revenue Sharing Definitions Committee, which now includes Milwaukee Brewers chairman Mark Attanasio, Seattle Mariners President Kevin Mather and Toronto Blue Jays President Mark Shapiro.
In 2012, an RSDC that then included Pittsburgh Pirates President Frank Coonelly, Tampa Bay Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg and New York Mets chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon ruled the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network owed the Nationals $298 million for the team’s 2012-16 television rights.
The Orioles sued, and the RSDC decision in 2015 was thrown out by a New York State Supreme Court justice. The New York State Supreme Court Appellate Division voted 3-2 in 2017 to send the decision back to the RSDC.