News of Leonsis’ official interest in the Nationals came the same day. announced That was to acquire NBC Sports Washington, a regional sports network that broadcasts Wizards and Capitals games.monumental got Acquired a one-third stake in NBC Sports Washington from Comcast in 2016.
Asked about his family’s interest in the Nationals in an interview Tuesday, Zach Leonsis — Monumental’s president of media and new business and Ted’s son — said, “It’s not appropriate to comment. ” he said.
It’s unclear if Ted Leonsis can buy the Nationals. Forbes valued at $2 billionthe 12th-highest number among 30 MLB teams—whether on his own or with outside investors. Mark Lerner is a minority partner of Monumental.
At least 5 potential bidders met with Nationals officials, is another important step in addition to looking at your team’s finances. Billionaire Michael B. Kim, a private equity firm with more than $25 billion in assets under management, met this summer With team officials at Nationals Park. Mortgage mogul Stanley Middleman also met with the team’s staff. It is unclear if Leonsis has officially met with Nationals officials.
People familiar with the process believe the sale could be completed by the end of the year, in time for the new group to be approved at the club owners’ meeting in November.The Lerner family has left the possibility of retaining ownership or simply bringing in additional partners.Arte Moreno, owner of the Los Angeles Angels announced on Tuesday He’s also considering selling his team, which is slightly ahead of the Nationals in Forbes ratings.
Meanwhile, the acquisition of NBC Sports Washington, which owns the rights to Wizards and Capitals, will give the Leonsis family’s sprawling entertainment conglomerate even more influence in the DC sports market. Monumental Sports also owns Mystics, Go-Go of the NBA G League, and Wizards District Gaming of the NBA 2K League.
Ted Leonsis has long had a keen interest in the media side of the sports business. He is a member of the media committees of the NBA and his NHL owners and a vocal supporter of legalized sports gambling. Open the Sportsbook at Capital One Arena, the first within a professional sports arena in the United States.Wizards Experimented Another telecast focused on gamblingand Zach Leonsis said he would be interested in more alternative feeds, citing the following example “Monday Night Football” by Peyton and Eli Manning”
“Fundamentally, we believe in the value of live local rights,” said Zach Leonsis. [regional sports network] However, we strongly believe that the value of rights will continue to increase. When pursuing innovation, it is strategic to own our destiny. ”
He spoke of Monumental, which also owns the streaming platform. Broadcast the majority of this season’s Mystics schedulewas interested in investigating direct-to-consumer streaming options for Wizards and Capitals games that could provide fan access without a cable subscription.
The contract with Comcast is expected to close in approximately 30 days. Comcast will remain a strategic partner and help deliver the network for at least the next year.
It remains to be seen how Monumental’s media pursuits will align with Ted Leonsis’ interest in the Nationals.network is persistent issue It led to decades of legal disputes between franchises over rights fees. The network is managed by the Orioles as part of an agreement reached between Major League Baseball and the Angelos family, who own the Orioles, when the Nationals moved to the district.
To become an owner of the Nationals, you must sign a contract with the Orioles to manage the local television rights for the Nationals.
NBC Sports Washington has always had a programming gap due to the absence of live basketball and hockey for several summer months. Fans and media executives were interested in having the Wizards, Capitals, Nationals and Orioles on the same network. Nearly a decade ago, Comcast talked to the Orioles and the Nationals about buying his MASN, but no deal was reached.
