LivingSocial to pay for late-night DC Metro service during baseball playoffs

A new fan is stepping up to the plate to pay for late night public transportation for the Washington Nationals baseball team's upcoming playoff games: tech company LivingSocial.

The company, which is headquartered in Washington, D.C., said Thursday that it would pay a $29,000 deposit to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) to secure an extra hour of service for any games that run late. The announcement broke an impasse that had lasted for weeks between the transit authority, local leaders in the capital region and the baseball team.

LivingSocial CEO Tim O’Shaughnessy said it made sense for his company, which offers discounts to customers via email, to step in to pay for the subway service on D.C.'s Metrorail. 

“LivingSocial is in the business of creating great local experiences, and we want to be sure DC fans can enjoy the city’s first baseball playoffs in 79 years without worrying about how they will get home,” O’Shaughnessy said in a statement released after a news conference at the Metro station nearest to the Nationals' stadium.

“DC is our hometown, and we love this city," O’Shaughnessy said. "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.”

Metro GM Richard Sales said in a statement that the capital area's transit agency was "delighted to be able to provide this service for Metro-riding baseball fans, thanks to LivingSocial, and we wish the Nationals the best of luck in the postseason.”

LivingSocial receives a large tax break from the D.C. government, which was reported in further detail by The Washington Post in July here. 

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