The Orioles’ first extension of the David Rubenstein era has come in the TV booth.
The club on Thursday announced it has signed Mid-Atlantic Sports Network play-by-play announcer Kevin Brown to a “multi-year contract extension” that ensures he will continue calling games while the ballclub establishes itself as a perennial contender.
“I’m humbled and honored to be a part of this next chapter of Orioles baseball,” Brown said in a statement. “My incredible colleagues in the booth and around the ballpark make every day a joy. Baltimore is a special place, and I’m grateful to call it my home. Here’s to many more nights of this thrilling team, this passionate fan base, and all the ballpark food I can reasonably eat.”
Brown has been MASN’s primary play-by-play man since 2022, but has worked for the Orioles’ broadcast team in various capacities for six years. The Syracuse alumnus spent seven years working for the Syracuse Chiefs, the former Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, before joining the Orioles Radio Network as a play-by-play announcer in 2019. Brown also regularly appears on ESPN’s Women’s College World Series broadcasts, “Sunday Night Baseball Statcast Edition” simulcasts and ESPN radio’s postseason broadcasts.
“When he joined our broadcast team six years ago, we knew Kevin Brown would quickly become a household name,” Orioles executive vice president and chief operating officer Greg Bader said in a statement. “His knowledge and passion for the game, paired with his lighthearted personality and genuine relationships with his colleagues in the booth have turned each Orioles game into can’t miss television. We are grateful to have Kevin on our team and look forward to him calling winning Orioles baseball for years to come.”
While Brown quickly drew the favor of fans for his spirited calls, knowledge of analytics and strong rapport with color commentators Jim Palmer and Ben McDonald, he did draw the ire of previous ownership last season. Brown was removed from the MASN booth for 16 games after he broke down the Orioles’ lack of success in road games against the Tampa Bay Rays in a pregame segment using a list of team-provided statistics shown on a graphic.
Former Chairman and CEO John Angelos, who was the managing partner of the Orioles and MASN before selling both to Rubenstein this spring, later told The New York Times, “Nothing like that is going to happen again,” and added, “It shouldn’t have happened once.” Brown returned to the broadcast booth Aug. 11 and said in a statement on social media that he has a “wonderful relationship” with the Orioles and he “never want[s] to be a part of the story.”
According to the team, MASN’s broadcasts of their games have averaged 100,000 viewers per quarter hour “throughout the DMV” this season, making Orioles games the most-watched primetime TV program in the region. In July, the club shared Nielsen ratings that indicated a 35% increase in viewership from last season.
The Orioles, who won the American League East in 2023, are 71-50 this year and in a neck-and-neck race with the New York Yankees for the division crown. Rubenstein took over the organization on opening day and has since hired a new president of business operations, approved increased spending on player payroll ahead of the trade deadline and raised season ticket prices for 2025 among his first major moves.
This story might be updated.