Mid-Atlantic Sports Network, a broadcaster mostly controlled by the Baltimore Orioles Baseball Club, has bought itself an extra inning in its bid to undo an arbitration panel’s decision that it owes about $80 million in telecast licensing revenue to the Washington Nationals Baseball Club.
In a short order issued Thursday, New York Supreme Court Justice Lawrence Marks in Manhattan entered a temporary restraining order that blocks the Nationals from terminating MASN’s license to show Nationals games. The Nationals had threatened the dramatic action in order to pressure MASN to recognize the validity of the arbitration award and pay up. Marks also scheduled a hearing for Aug. 18 to hear arguments on why he shouldn’t extend the restraining order into a full-fledged injunction.
