The Washington Nationals baseball team has signed a local television agreement with Fox-owned WTTG (Channel 5) to offer their games on free broadcast TV in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.
As part of the deal, no fewer than 10 regular-season games will air on WTTG this season, the team announced on Friday. The Washington Nationals will also offer their games on Gray Media-owned TV stations outside the Washington, D.C. area but still within the regional broadcast market of the team, putting games in front of more than 3 million viewers in the mid-Atlantic region.
“We are so excited to partner with WTTG FOX 5 and Gray Media to deliver Nationals games via free, over-the-air television,” Washington Nationals President of Business Operations Jason Sinnarajah said in a statement. “Whether you’re in the Washington, D.C., area or elsewhere in the Mid-Atlantic, it’s easier than ever to tune in and cheer for your hometown team.”
“We are proud to partner with the Washington Nationals to televise select games this season. Between game day forecasts, pregame programming, and live games, FOX 5 remains committed to delivering expanded coverage that reflects the passion and pride of Nats fans to bring them closer to their hometown team,” added Sue Diviney, the Senior Vice President and General Manager of WTTG.
“Our Virginia and North Carolina markets are full of Nationals fans who will love watching their team free, over-the-air,” said Sandy Breland, the Chief Operating Officer at Gray Media. “We appreciate the opportunity to work with the team and Nationals.TV to broaden the reach of America’s pastime from our nation’s capital.”
As part of the deal, WTTG will produce pre-game and post-game coverage for the 10 games that air on its station and simulcast on Gray Media-owned outlets. Due to programming commitments, some games aired during the season will broadcast on WTTG’s sister station, WDCA (Channel 20), which brands itself as “Fox 5 Plus.”
Nationals.TV will offer all locally-televised games during the season. The channel is available on cable and satellite partners, and as a direct-to-consumer subscription service, making all local games available over the Internet without a traditional pay TV subscription.
