Nationals broadcasts “sound and look different” this season with “support and technology from MLB Local Media,” after an offseason split from the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network, according to Jonas Shaffer of the BALTIMORE BANNER. Nationals broadcasters and officials say that the partnership has helped “lift Nationals.TV in its inaugural season to levels that were out of reach under MASN.” Full-time play-by-play voice Dan Kolko and pre- and post-game host and in-game reporter Alexa Datt — who was hired after covering the Cardinals and Blues as a host for FanDuel Sports Network Midwest — have a partnership with analyst Kevin Frandsen. Frandsen joined MASN’s broadcast team in 2022 and has “injected a different energy into the broadcast.” Datt said that their hope is to “evoke the hangout vibes of ‘Inside the NBA.’” Shaffer notes access has “improved as well.” Nationals’ Exec Dir of content and broadcasting Wendy Bailey said that the MLB “encourages collaboration between teams’ public relations, communications and broadcast arms in hopes of creating more engaging on-air content.” Bailey added that the Nationals “wanted their broadcasts to better measure up against the sport’s ‘gold standard,’” pointing to national broadcasts of postseason games. Shaffer writes the Nationals and MLB have “given them more angles.” The team could also incorporate a “dirt cam” and an umpire-mounted camera. The “Wire Cam,” glides from third base to home plate, offering an “almost cinematic perspective as players round the bases and the ball’s relayed home” (BALTIMORE BANNER, 4/17).
