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[Chelsea Janes, WaPo] Ted Leonsis offered Lerner family at least $2 billion to buy Nationals



[Chelsea Janes, WaPo] Ted Leonsis offered Lerner family at least $2 billion to buy Nationals

by z3mcs

5 Comments

  1. Excerpts, though the whole article is worth reading

    >Ted Leonsis, owner of three Washington-based professional sports franchises, offered more than $2 billion to buy the Washington Nationals from the Lerner family late last year, according to three people with knowledge of the situation. It’s not clear whether the Lerners rejected the offer or simply did not respond to it, though one person with direct knowledge of the process says the two parties have remained in touch.

    >Leonsis declined to comment. The Lerners declined to comment.

    >The Nationals’ rights are owned in perpetuity by the Baltimore Orioles through the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network as established in the agreement MLB struck to bring the Nationals to Washington in 2005.

    >Leonsis also expressed interest in buying MASN late last year, according to two people with direct knowledge of the situation who said the Orioles told him the network was not for sale. A MASN spokesman did not reply to a request to comment.

    >With revenue from past seasons still being litigated, projecting future revenue is nebulous, making it difficult for potential buyers to know exactly what they would be bidding on. An attempt to purchase both the Nationals and MASN might have resolved those vagaries, though how such a deal would have affected the Orioles TV rights is unclear. Leonsis built Monumental Sports Network, which broadcasts his three professional sports teams, and gaining control of the Nationals and Orioles broadcasts would move him closer to a D.C.-area super network, which people familiar with his thinking say has long been a goal.

  2. waskittenman

    Do they put ads on the field during MLB broadcasts?

  3. Dreamlion_Inc

    Oh…I thought it said Leonsis was offering the Wizards to someone else

    carry on

  4. -Johnny_Utah-

    As I commented on the Nats sub, Teddy AOL can’t run two franchises competently as is, adding a third to the mix would be a mess.

    Only way this would possibly work out well for Wiz fans is if he sold the Wiz when he ended up landing the Nats. But that’s doubtful, as his business model is focused on building his Monumental Sports portfolio and his sports book business first and foremost.

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