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.

WASHINGTON—The 2020-2021 NBA season kicks off tonight, and Monumental Sports & Entertainment, the ownership group for the Washington Wizards, is launching “Virtual Gameday,” a second-screen experience that fans can access on mobile or other electronic devices.

Monumental Sports partnered with Kiswe to create Virtual Gameday, a digital fan experience designed to provide an enhanced viewing experience. 

As fans are still restricted from attending Washington Wizards games in person because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Virtual Gameday offers access to traditional in-game experiences, as well as new in-game features as part of what Monumental Sports calls a “re-imagined game day experience.” 

New features for Virtual Gameday will include a user-authenticated destination to watch the Wizards’ video content that will be a companion to each home game; messaging that will drive fans to the traditional game broadcast on NBC Washington; integration of live game stats; audience chat functionality; and a new interactive audience cheering feature with live visualization. 

Additional content will include player warm-ups, national anthem performances, player introduction videos and starting lineups, Timeout and Quarter-break activations and entertainment performances, halftime performances and sponsorship activations. More interactive elements are expected to be added throughout the season.

“As the Washington Wizards usher in the start of a non-traditional 2020-21 season without fans in the arena, we wanted to replicate some of the excitement and content we would normally deliver at Capital One Arena,” said Hunter Lochmann, chief marketing officer, Monumental Sports & Entertainment. “We think this will be a great viewing companion with the broadcast of our games on NBC Sports Washington.” 

The first Washington Wizard home game featuring Virtual Gameday will be Dec. 26 when the Wizards play the Orlando Magic.

WASHINGTON—Major league sports franchises, whether moving into new arenas or not, understand the effect of offering enhanced video content for fans who can enjoy watching a game on their big screens at home—and thus demand even bigger, crisper images when they dole out their cash for expensive game tickets.

To that point, upgraded center hungs have also debuted at existing arenas in Chicago, Philadelphia and at Monumental Sports & Entertainment’s (MSE) Capital One Arena, home of the NBA’s Washington Wizards and the NHL’s Washington Capitals.

The Washington, D.C., venue’s new center-hung display, the third in its 22-year history and part of the arena’s $30 million arena upgrade, was built by Sunrise, Fla.-based Colosseo USA. It’s billed as “one of the largest 360-degree continuous video screens of any arena in the United States” and encompasses more than 7,000 total square feet of Smart LED display. With the featured eight-sided, multi-level display key to its total of 20 distinct display areas, it also delivers real-time stats, scores and updates.

And like the new center-hung at Chase Center (and others), the board at Cap One has LED screens within the underbelly of the 360-degree lower ring for the viewers seated on the floor and in the first several rows of seating.

MSE notes that the setup includes “the first-ever 4mm pixel pitch” within a display that takes up less space to store in the ceiling when not in use, as it retracts into itself; so while it’s larger than the previous board, “it requires less space” to store, said David Touhey, president of venues and vice president of technical broadcast operations for MSE.

Also part of the video experience are updated upper and lower fascia ribbon boards with 1,600 square feet of LED, plus two new end zone ribbons, adding more than 1,040 additional square feet of LED display; four two-sided, curved DualTV boards in the corners of the arena, with more than more than 2,200 square feet of HD LED video display arena-side and 1,100 square feet of the same for fans in the upper level; and “for the first time in an indoor arena” a SkyRing that features more than 9,000 square feet of LED video, wrapping the roofline of the arena bowl. At 390 feet in diameter, MSE calls it “the largest display in any U.S. arena to date.”

All told, Cap One offers 25,000 square feet of LED under roof.

For capture, MSE included five new cameras with the install: three SMPTE Sony HCD-2500s and two Fujinon XDCAMs. The controller used to load and playback content is supplied by Colosseo, which uses Colosseo proprietary software.

The upgrade is all part of keeping up not only with new venues and new installs, but the demands of the fans. “It gives us much more square footage to work with so we can deliver more content, stats,” etc., said Touhey, “as well as more inventory to sell to sponsors.”

BETHESDA, Md.—Wizards fans have the chance to make some money watching their team play every week, as NBC Sports Washington has announced it will offer weekly predictive-gaming broadcasts that will allow fans to win up to $2,000.

NBC Sports Washington will feature one special predictive-gaming broadcast a week on its NBC Sports Washington Plus service, featuring free-to-play “Predict the Game” contests that allow fans to predict player and team performances during each quarter, with the top eligible scorer(s) winning or sharing $500 per quarter.

The “Predict the Game” broadcasts will primarily feature the same video and audio of traditional game broadcasts being simulcasted on NBC Sports Washington, but will occasionally feature special hosts that will provide updates about the competition. Five answer options will be given on graphic overlays surrounding the live game coverage, as well as on mobile and desktop devices. It will also feature real-time game and player statistics and sports-betting odds data. Fans can join “Predict the Game” at any time upon creating an account.

NBC Sports Washington tested these fan experience out for eight Wizard games last season, as well as during preseason games for the Washington Redskins. This season will feature 20 predictive-gaming broadcasts, starting with the Nov. 6 game against the Indiana Pacers.

NBC Sports Washington has the full 20-game schedule.