Judge Tosses Arbitration that MASN Owes Nats $298M

NEW YORK (AP) — A New York state judge has thrown out an arbitration decision that said the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network, which is controlled by the Baltimore Orioles, owes the Washington Nationals about $298 million for the team’s 2012-16 broadcast rights.

When the parties could not agree to a rights figure from that five-year period, they appeared in April 2012 before a three-man baseball arbitration panel that included Pittsburgh Pirates president Frank Coonelly, Tampa Bay Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg and New York Mets chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon. The committee issued its decision in June 2014.

MASN sued, contending the arbitration decision was improper because the law firm Proskauer Rose, which represented the Nationals, at times worked for MLB and the teams of all three arbitrators. MASN also claimed it was not fair MLB gave the Nationals a $25 million loan in August 2013 in anticipation it would be repaid from higher broadcast revenue.

Supreme Court Justice Lawrence K. Marks issued his ruling Wednesday, nearly six months after hearing arguments.