What A Deal: Living Social To Fund Late-Night Metro For Nats Playoffs

Daily deal company Living Social will pick up the tab for late night Metro service during the Nationals post-season run. The company will underwrite the costs if any of the post-season games go into extra innings and past Metro's normal hours of operation.

For weeks, there has been a dispute between Nationals, the District government, Metro and even Major League Baseball over who should pay.

Metro needs a deposit, estimated at nearly $30,000, and without that money, it cannot provide the extra after-hours service — which threatens to leave tens of thousands of Nats fans stranded at the ballpark.

“LivingSocial is in the business of creating great local experiences, and we want to be sure D.C. fans can enjoy the city’s first baseball playoffs in 79 years without worrying about how they will get home,” LivingSocial CEO Tim O’Shaughnessy said in a statement released by Metro Thursday. "D.C. is our hometown, and we love this city. This is just a small way to say thanks to our local customers, merchants, and employees for making Washington such a great place for us to live, work, and grow."

Per the agreement, D.C-based Living Social will pay for up to two hours of extra service and will receive reimbursement depending on ridership during those hours.

The Nationals heralded the move Thursday. 

"This is a win-win for all parties involved and we appreciate everyone’s willingness to come together to prepare for such an exciting time in the city’s history," Nationals vice president of government & municipal affairs Gregory McCarthy said in the statement. "October baseball is back in the nation's capital and we look forward to the positive impact this event will have on Washingtonians across the region."