WASHINGTON, D.C.—The rebrand of the old NBC Sports Washington network has gone live with the launch of Monumental Sports Network and the announcement that the rebranded regional sports network will be offering a host of new features and digital experiences for its coverage of the 2023-24 NBA and NHL seasons.
Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), the parent company which acquired the network in 2022, announced the rebranding in June of 2023, which took place on Sept. 20. The linear channel is available at the same channel number where NBC Sports Washington was formerly found via pay TV providers.
"Since acquiring NBC Sports Washington one year ago to the day, we have spent every day since building what we believe will be the best local media experience for the greatest fans in all of sports," said Zach Leonsis, president of media & new enterprises at Monumental Sports & Entertainment. "Our fans deserve the best experience possible, so we challenged ourselves to push every standard and deliver an extraordinary media platform. We're excited to begin the network's transformation this month with additional plans to unveil several significant upgrades throughout the course of the Capitals and Wizards regular seasons."
Monumental Sports Network is also building a brand-new production plant and broadcast studio, set to be delivered by early 2024 – located right next to Capital One Arena, at Gallery Place.
This two-story, SMPTE 2110 facility will feature two major league quality studios which can also combine on non-conflict nights to create one single regional telecast worthy experience. The facility will also feature two insert studios and five control rooms to produce multiple events simultaneously.
Upon the opening of the new production plant and studios, Monumental Sports Network plans to upgrade its video quality from 1080i (shooting at 30 frames per second) to 1080p (shooting at 60 frames per second) so fans can enjoy their favorite live and original programs in stunning HD. The new facility is also built to upgrade its video quality to 4K in the future. In addition, Monumental Sports Network will plan to pursue its alternate telecast strategy upon the opening of the new facility. Further announcements will be made this winter.
"While the local media ecosystem continues to evolve, we seek to build the exemplar local media platform in all of sports. The value of live sports rights continues to grow, which is why we are so confident in making these significant investments back into our local rights," continued Leonsis. "We will do more with our live rights than ever before, upgrading the existing live experience, and producing more programming to the benefit of our fans and business partners. We look forward to debuting many more additional upgrades and enhancements throughout the NBA and NHL regular seasons."
A key part of the relaunch is enhanced video functionality for live-streaming of games with authentication of their Pay TV credentials, on-demand viewing of original programming and game replays, exclusive behind the scenes content and more, the network reported. Monumental Sports Network's new digital presence is also optimized across desktop, tablet, and mobile experiences. Users who had the previous Monumental Sports Network app downloaded on their digital devices will receive a new version of the app via a standard app update.
Additional features of the new digital experience include:
- Access to multiple camera angles during live games with additional functionality including the ability to rewind and watch in slow motion.
- Personalization features that tailor a user's experience towards their favorite teams and players.
- Access to hundreds of hours of original behind-the-scenes programming, new shows including Hometown with Rachel Nichols and much more.
- Ability to watch Monumental Sports Network's live, 24/7 linear feed on-the-go on multiple devices.
- Opt-in ability to receive score alerts, team and player updates, as well as a new Monumental Sports Network newsletter.
- Daily editorial and video clips covering the Capitals, Wizards, Mystics, and Go-Go which can be saved to a user's list for later viewing.
- Sportradar integrations providing users with advanced, real-time sports data and betting analytics.
- Ticketmaster integration for ticket management and account linking.
- Consistent look and feel across all platforms, allowing for an intuitive experience across all devices.
- Pay TV subscribers receive all these benefits for free by signing in with their TV Everywhere (TVE) credentials on Monumental Sports Network's online and mobile platforms.
Monumental Sports Network partnered on these enhancements with ViewLift, a leading end-to-end digital platform developer providing OTT distribution solutions for content owners across multiple device platforms, including web, mobile, connected TV devices, smart TVs and gaming consoles, to design and develop the brand-new digital experience.
The network also announced a number of improvements to the linear channel. These include new branding and a new logo as well as new programming.
Other enhancements include:
- New Digital Properties: The digital experience is available on desktop, mobile, tablet, iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon Fire TV. It features all the live programming, on-demand game replays and TV episodes, and exclusive behind-the-scenes digital content.
- New Social Channels: Follow us at @MonSportsNet on X, Instagram, Meta, TikTok, and YouTube.
- New Paid Media Campaign: Monumental Sports Network is partnering with Gupta Media to launch its first-ever ad campaign and will be seen in print, online and out-of-home boards around the D.C., Maryland and Virginia region.
- New Visuals Inside Capital One Arena: Fans attending games and events can expect to see Monumental Sports Network signage around the venue as well as on the court and ice during game intermissions.
- New Fan Engagement Opportunities: Check out the "Rock the Red Carpet" event during the Capitals Opening Night on October 13 where Monumental Sports Network will provide live coverage and host a station for fans to win fun prizes. Throughout the Capitals and Wizards seasons, Monumental Sports Network will host watch parties for fans throughout the DMV.
- New Digital Newsletter: Sent three times a week, the Network's newsletter will keep fans up to date on the latest programming, as well as a roundup of the best digital content from our network and our teams.
