The Washington Nationals are officially turning the page on a long, often complicated chapter in their broadcasting history. After 21 years of sharing the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN) with the Baltimore Orioles-a relationship that’s seen more than its fair share of legal battles and behind-the-scenes tension-the Nationals are cutting ties and taking a bold new step.
Starting this season, the Nationals will no longer air their games on MASN. Instead, they’re teaming up directly with Major League Baseball to produce and broadcast their games.
The new platform, branded Nationals.tv, will carry all locally televised games in 2026. Fans in the Nationals’ home market will be able to watch through traditional cable and satellite providers, as well as MLB’s direct-to-consumer (DTC) streaming service.
This move puts the Nats in growing company. They’re now the seventh MLB team to leave their regional sports network (RSN) and partner directly with the league for game broadcasts, joining the Padres, Diamondbacks, Mariners, Rockies, Twins, and Guardians. It’s a trend that’s quietly reshaping how baseball is delivered to fans-and it’s happening fast.
For Nationals fans, this means a shift in how they’ll access games. In-market viewers will need to subscribe to MLB’s DTC platform to stream games live.
Out-of-market fans can still catch the action via MLB.TV, which is now under the ESPN umbrella. Down the line, the league plans to sell broadcast rights to cable and satellite providers in the Nationals’ region, ensuring those platforms can continue to carry games for subscribers.
But this isn’t just a local story-it’s part of a much bigger picture unfolding across Major League Baseball.
Right now, nine other teams-the Braves, Reds, Tigers, Royals, Angels, Marlins, Brewers, Cardinals, and Rays-are facing major uncertainty about how their games will be televised in 2026. Their broadcasts were tied to the FanDuel Sports Networks, which are owned by Main Street Sports Group. But with Main Street now in bankruptcy, those teams are left in limbo just 10 weeks before Opening Day.
There are three possible paths forward: Main Street could somehow restructure and keep the networks alive; another company (Fubo has been floated as a potential buyer) could swoop in and acquire the channels; or MLB could step in and take over the broadcasts, just as it has with the Nationals and six other clubs.
If the league does take over those nine teams’ broadcasts, that would bring the total to 16 franchises-more than half the league-under MLB’s direct production umbrella. And that could mark a major turning point.
Commissioner Rob Manfred has long signaled interest in bundling both local and national media rights into a single package. Right now, MLB’s national broadcast deals run through 2028. If the league can consolidate local rights by then, it could create a unified media offering-one that might command more value in a rapidly evolving sports media landscape.
But that’s easier said than done. Heavyweights like the Dodgers, Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, and Cubs all own their local RSNs, and convincing those clubs to hand over control won’t be a simple negotiation.
Still, the Nationals’ move is another sign that the old model of regional sports networks may be losing its grip. With more teams embracing MLB’s centralized approach, the league is inching closer to a future where it controls not just the product on the field, but how it reaches fans at home.
For Washington, it’s a fresh start. For baseball, it might just be the beginning of a media revolution.