Monumental Sports Network officially launches, replacing NBC Sports Washington

On Wednesday, the Monumental Sports Network officially went live in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington D.C., replacing NBC Sports Washington.

https://twitter.com/MSE/status/1704496777380888979

Last summer, the Ted Leonsis-owned Monumental Sports & Entertainment bought NBC Sports Washington with an eye on merging it with the company’s existing digital Monumental Sports Network. That became a reality on Wednesday with the official launch and rebrand.

The Monumental Sports Network will remain on the same channel as NBC Sports Washington, with no change in distribution.

The network retains the rights to all the teams under the ownership of Leonsis’ Monumental, including the Capitals, Wizards, Mystics, Capital City Go-Go, and Wizards District Gaming.

Monumental is also launching various new original programming on the network. The following shows are included.

• Hometown with Rachel Nichols: airing each Thursday at 7 p.m. ET, this is an interview show hosted by Rachel Nichols (whose addition to Monumental was announced in June) and “will feature sports stars and celebrities” talking with Nichols.
• Caps Red Line: new episodes premiere each Monday at 5 p.m., reairing every weekday at 5 p.m. ET, Alexa Landestoy hosts this series featuring “the best behind-the-scenes moments, off-ice stories with players, staff, and other Capitals fanatics stories.”
• Beyond the Buzzer: new episodes premiere each Monday at 4:30 p.m., repairing every weekday at 4:30 p.m. ET, Wes Hall hosts this show featuring (you guessed it!) “the best behind-the-scenes moments, off-court stories with players, staff, and other Wizards fanatics stories.”
• By the Book: airs each weekday at 5:30 p.m. ET. This is a betting show hosted by Meg McDonald and Sia Nejad.
• District Countdown: premiering in October, this show “will count down the greatest moments in Monumental Sports history.”
• Beltway Football: airs each weekend during the NFL season. JP Finlay and Mitch Tischler cover “the biggest topics around the NFL team with a fresh and engaging perspective on football around the nation’s capital.” Earlier this year, Washington Commanders programming left NBC Sports Washington after the two parties couldn’t reach a new deal.

Additionally, Monumental premiered a documentary about the 2023 Calder Cup champion Hershey Bears (the Capitals’ AHL affiliate) called Hershey Bears: Sweeter by the Dozen that will continue to re-air in the coming weeks.

Interestingly, no direct-to-consumer offering was announced on Wednesday. Monumental’s release touted the numerous features in Mounmental’s app available with an authenticated login from a cable, satellite, or streaming provider, but for now, you appear to be out of luck if you’re a cord cutter.

[Monumental Sports Network]