Much ado about nothing as it turned out Mr. Shakespeare. As Benedick said, “In a false quarrel — there is no true valour.” Lights — camera — action. Direct from Opening Day of Spring Training on February 21, we have Washington Nationals.TV baseball for the first time without the MASN anchor tied around its ankles.
The Nationals have officially published their Spring Training radio and TV broadcast schedule. This does not include games broadcasted by the opposing teams that the Nationals will be playing — and that will add additional air time. There will certainly be more games to watch via the traditional MLB app, and if you kept MASN on your cable bill — that March 22nd game will be televised by them at 1:35 pm.
One answer we do not have yet is whether the Nationals will have a pressbox video camera for games that have no TV broadcast. The Marlins made that a staple for their Spring Training games — and while not perfect — it was better than nothing.
So all of that heartburn wasn’t needed after the Washington Post tried a diversion tactic that tried to throw a wrench into our breaking news on January 2 when we scooped them and everyone else on the news that the Nationals were leaving MASN for the MLB package.
The MASN deal was basically over when the Nats confirmed our story in early January that they were moving to the MLB TV package, and no, they didn’t wait for the end of February to announce it was finito!
Truthfully, the last broadcast of consequence on MASN was manager Blake Butera‘s live presser on Nov. 18. And a source told us, contractually, that MASN was informed by the Nats that they were not renewing before their Dec. 31 deadline. The rest was inconsequential unless you live and die by those Nationals Classic game reruns. And the Nats were never impacted by the Post’s claim with their word salad that said the MASN deal “expires at the end of February.” Well, the Nats are broadcasting on February 21 on the Opening Day of Spring Training. That tells you all you need to know.
Really, the only remaining TV logistical news that remains is for those within the DC region to get the details on how to watch the team on cable/dish/fiber if they don’t want the streaming option via Nationals.TV. That’s really it. Even the broadcast team has been set with play-by-play announcer Dan Kolko, color analyst Kevin Frandsen, and reporter and host Alexa Datt. And Dave Jageler and Charlies Slowes will continue on the call for Nats’ radio broadcasts.
While you will get the traditional Grapefruit League games in Spring Training on that schedule, there will also be the broadcast of the Nationals taking on Team Venezuela in a World Baseball Classic exhibition game on Wednesday, March 4. That matchup takes place at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches, and will be available on Nationals.TV. Additionally, Nationals top prospects will play the St. Louis Cardinals top prospects as part of MLB’s Spring Breakout Series on Thursday, March 19, in West Palm Beach. That game will be available through MLB Network via Nationals.TV.
Will there be additional programming on this new Nationals TV channel? That is another question that is waiting for an answer. Certainly, there will be pregame and postgame shows. Maybe the Nats will also broadcast their own series of classic games. They could also opt for other baseball programming that MLB could make available. There is Ryan Zimmerman and Kolko’s 11th Inning Podcast that will hopefully return for 2026. And that leads to whether the Nationals will have original programming and minor league games. Again, they have not commented on that.
In recent seasons, local games produced by MLB have featured special broadcast elements, increased access and technical innovation, including enhancements like Wire Cam and shallow depth RF cameras, which the Nationals have said will be part of their new broadcast this season. MLB has won Sports Emmy Awards for its local game production of the Padres and Twins. In addition, MLB Network has won multiple national Sports Emmy Awards for its game production since 2009.
“We are excited to have already begun work with the talented team at MLB, and the collaboration is off to a strong start as we work together to elevate the viewing experience with world-class broadcasts across television and streaming.”
— Managing Principal Owner, Mark D. Lerner said on January 14
“Partnering with MLB offers us several new opportunities that will greatly improve the on-air product, including technological enhancements, the ability to work more closely with our broadcasters, and create added opportunities for our valued corporate partners. We’re thrilled to be able to offer the kind of presentation that our dedicated fans across the entire Mid-Atlantic region deserve.”
The last part of the equation is the business side of the new TV deal. We don’t know how much revenue the Nats will achieve in the MLB package. And maybe this Katie Woo tweet will give some idea of how the final numbers could look.
For more information on how to access Nationals.TV and to sign up for updates, visit Nationals.com/Watch.
