A New York court has sealed a key decision of a Major League Baseball arbitration panel in the dispute between the Orioles and the Washington Nationals over television rights fees and profits from the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network.
Documents filed recently with the New York Supreme Court indicate that the long-awaited decision was issued — and was ordered withheld from the public.
The arbitration decision of three MLB team executives could be worth more than $100 million because it affects not only rights fees moving forward, but also those from past years.
The dispute dates to 2012, when the Orioles and Nationals could not agree on the appropriate rights fees, which MASN pays equally to both clubs for televising their games.