It has been a busy day for Ted Leonsis.
After his company, Monumental Sports and Entertainment, announced their intention to buy the entirety of the NBC Sports Washington regional sports network, the Washington Post now reports that Leonsis is also deep in the running for owning the Washington Nationals.
Leonsis was first linked with the Nationals in May as one among a crowded field of parties interested in the Nationals, who have been owned by the Lerner family since 2006. The difference in today’s report from the Post is that Leonsis now has access to the Nationals’ financial information, a step leading towards making an official bid. The Post says there are now five parties interested in buying the team.
The Lerners, who bought the team for $450 million one year after its relocation to DC, could retain partial ownership as part of a potential deal, the Post reports. The deal may be completed as early as this November.
MSE securing full ownership in NBC Sports Washington and a potential bid to own the Nationals could be related. The Nationals currently split ownership of their RSN, the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (or MASN), with the Baltimore Orioles. That relationship has been notoriously fractious, as the Orioles organization ostensibly dominates operations and receives most of the profits. If Leonsis can bring an alternative broadcast option to his offer, he could strengthen both his new network and his bid to buy the team.
The Nationals are in last place in the National League with a 41-82 record. The Orioles are fourth in the AL East, just ahead of the Boston Red Sox.
