Monumental Sports Network, the regional sports network formerly known as NBC Sports Washington, on Tuesday launched a direct-to-consumer streaming service that gives in-market fans without cable or satellite subscriptions a new way to watch Washington Capitals, Wizards and Mystics games.
Monthly ($19.99) and annual ($199.99) subscriptions are available for the service, which has been in the works since Ted Leonsis’s Monumental Sports & Entertainment purchased NBCSW last year and arrives in time for the 2023-24 NHL and NBA seasons. The service is only available to viewers within a roughly 150-mile radius of D.C.
The monthly plan provides access to live Capitals, Wizards and Mystics games airing on Monumental Sports Network, on-demand original programming and the ability to watch Monumental Sports Network’s recently rebranded linear channel. The annual plan comes with several additional perks, including a 20 percent discount on team merchandise from Monumental’s online store, the ability to stream on multiple devices at once, monthly ticket discounts and presale ticket access for regular season and playoff games.
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As an added incentive, the first 10,000 subscribers to the annual membership plan will receive a three-piece bobblehead set of Kyle Kuzma, Alex Ovechkin and Elena Delle Donne. Each bobblehead features audio of signature calls from Monumental Sports Network play-by-play voices Chris Miller, Joe Beninati and Meghan McPeak.
“Our goal with this is to make our games accessible to fans in market who don’t have cable or satellite subscriptions,” Zach Leonsis, president of media and new enterprises for Monumental, said in a video interview. “We’re delighted that we can finally make these games accessible to all fans.”
In-market cable and satellite subscribers (as well as Hulu, YouTube TV and Fubo subscribers) will be able to continue to watch live games and programming on Monumental Sports Network as they have in the past or on the network’s revamped digital platform at no extra cost. Fans who stream games on Monumental Sports Network’s digital platform this season will be able to choose from among several different camera angles for all home broadcasts and will have access to real-time data and analytics. Games will be available on demand for a couple of days after they originally air.
An interview series hosted by former ESPN reporter Rachel Nichols and a pair of weekly shows offering behind-the-scenes looks at the Capitals (“Caps Red Line”) and Wizards (“Beyond the Buzzer”) have already debuted as part of the network’s new lineup of team-focused original programming. With the Capitals’ regular season opener on Friday airing exclusively on Hulu/ESPN Plus, Monumental Sports Network will show Game 6 of the Capitals’ 2018 second-round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the premiere of its “Capitals Classics” series.
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Alternate feeds for Capitals and Wizards broadcasts, including one modeled after ESPN’s “Manningcast,” with a rotating cast of former players and on-air talent discussing the game, are expected to be introduced after Monumental’s new production facility opens around the start of the new year.
The Los Angeles Clippers launched the NBA’s first direct-to-consumer streaming option last year, with monthly ($19.99) and season-long ($124.99) subscription options. The Utah Jazz ($15.50/month, $125.50/year), Phoenix Suns ($14.99/month, $109.99/year) and Vegas Golden Knights ($69.99/season) are among the NBA and NHL teams with similar streaming options. MSG+ offers New York Knicks, New York Rangers, New York Islanders, New Jersey Devils and Buffalo Sabres games for $29.99/month or $309.99/year. Several teams are offering pay-per-view options for single games, ranging from $5 to $9.99.
Leonsis said Monumental Sports Network might increase its variety of subscription options in the future, perhaps to include single-game or team-specific plans.
“I can imagine these bundles evolving and growing in a year-over-year basis,” he said. “This is an exciting start for us.”
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