With surging viewership, groundbreaking tech, and award-winning programming, MNMT set a new standard for regional sports media this past season 

Washington, D.C. (July 25, 2025) – Monumental Sports Network (MNMT) is proud to celebrate a transformative second season as the exclusive local broadcast home of the NHL’s Washington Capitals, NBA’s Washington Wizards, WNBA’s Washington Mystics, and NBA G League’s Capital City Go-Go. Over the past year, MNMT has cemented its position as a trailblazer in the regional sports media industry, redefining the way fans in the DMV region experience their favorite teams through bold innovations, immersive fan engagement features, and a relentless commitment to premium programming. Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE) took the bold approach to reinvest in its local media rights and acquired NBC Sports Washington in August 2022, subsequently rebranding the network as MNMT in June 2023.   

After the opening of MNMT’s new, state-of-the-art studio and production facility in March 2024, the 2024-25 season marked a major leap forward for the network. The past year featured the successful rollout of Monumental+, a new digital platform that brings fans closer than ever to the action, the addition of alternate game broadcasts and real-time sports betting and gamification features, as well as compelling original series and comprehensive coverage of historic milestones like Alex Ovechkin’s pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s all-time NHL goals record. Most recently, MSE and ViewLift announced the creation of a comprehensive broadcast and streaming solution built to meet the local distribution needs of professional sports teams across the U.S., slated to formally launch this fall. 

“Our mission from day one has been to push the boundaries of what a regional sports network can be and create a best-in-class regional network that serves fans in innovative and exciting ways,” said Zach Leonsis, President of Media & New Enterprises at MSE. “This season, we’ve continued to prove that regional sports platforms can thrive with the right investment, vision, and commitment to quality. We’re not just broadcasting games—we’re building a next-generation media platform that’s reshaping how local sports are experienced.” 

Key highlights from the past season: 

Milestones 

Monumental+ Launches (September 2024): MNMT launched Monumental+, a state-of-the-art app that supercharged the streaming experience for D.C. sports fans. Innovative features include: 

• Multi-view feature that puts fans in control of how they watch, by allowing up to four streams on a screen at once.  

• • The ability to watch Capitals and Wizards games simultaneously 

• • Freedom to watch the main broadcast and alternate broadcasts at the same time 

• • Six alternate camera angles for Capitals and Wizards home games 

• Ability to stream Monumental Sports Network on up to three devices at once 

Spanish Language & Expanded Alternate Broadcasts (October 2024): The network unveiled a revamped slate of alternate broadcasts for Capitals and Wizards games, including the first Spanish-language local TV broadcasts among the four major sports teams (NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL) in D.C.   

MNMT Game Center (February 2025): In February, MNMT launched integrated real-time sports betting and gamification options during live game streams for the Capitals and Wizards through the new “Monumental Game Center” feature on the Monumental+ app. Through a dynamic partnership with Play Anywhere and BetMGM, MNMT is the first local media rights holder to offer this type of interactive viewing experience outside of Las Vegas and the first of its kind across the NBA. Monumental Game Center is now live for the 2025 Mystics season as well.  

MSE x ViewLift Broadcast and Streaming Solution (July 2025): Two powerhouses in the sports media industry announced that they will offer their services to create bespoke, fully-delivered, and future-ready solutions for sports teams and ownership groups navigating a fragmented and constantly changing distribution environment for local media. Whether teams are seeking expertise around linear television reach, direct-to-consumer (DTC) streaming, or a hybrid model, MSE and ViewLift can deliver an integrated toolkit.  

Programming 

In addition to controlling the local rights for its teams, a critical part of MNMT’s business strategy is to elevate local sports at different levels and celebrate integral groups in the community like high schools, colleges, and HBCUs. MNMT aired close to 500 games during the 2024-25 season – an all-time high – across several leagues including the NBA, NHL, WNBA, NBA G League, NWSL, Major League Rugby, and NCAA. Programming for this year included live games of local partners and special live broadcasts like:  

• Washington Spirit (NWSL) 

• Old Glory DC (Major League Rugby) 

• 17th Congressional Women’s Softball Game 

• D.C.-area college football, men’s and women’s college basketball, college volleyball, college lacrosse, and boys and girls high school basketball 

• • Including partnerships with HBCU GO, George Washington, Richmond, Hampton, George Mason, and Towson 

• • The Washington Post All-Met Honors, an hour-long program honoring this past winter’s standout high school athletes in the national capital region 

• • Truth & Service Classic (Howard vs. Hampton football) 

• • 52nd Hoop Culture Capital Classic  

• Legacy on Ice (figure skating benefit for victims of Reagan National Airport Tragedy) 

• Capital Hockey Classic (Army vs. Penn St.) 

D.C. sports fans now have access to an expanded original programming lineup on MNMT, including several new series this season: 

• Politics Aside with Chris Cillizza: Brand-new program that delves into the intersection of sports and our nation’s most influential political figures.  

• Sports Business Journal: Inside the Industry: MNMT and Sports Business Journal (SBJ) launched a dynamic new program Inside the Industry – SBJ’s first television series – that covers the rapidly evolving business of sports.  

• Fresh Paint: From the WNBA draft war room to in-game huddles, and from training camp to off-court activities around the DMV, fans can get an exclusive inside look at a new chapter for the Mystics from this new program. 

• Media Timeout: MNMT’s Tyler Byrum is joined by reporters from The Next to talk all things Mystics and WNBA hoops in this new series on Monumental+. 

Viewership 

• During the 2024-25 season, viewership for Capitals games on MNMT increased 37% compared to last season within the D.C. and Baltimore markets, and average linear viewership for the First Round against the Montreal Canadiens outperformed last year’s playoff series by 66% (HH). (Source: Nielsen Media Research, HH demo. DC & Baltimore DMA’s.) 

• Capitals streaming viewership for the regular season increased by 90% based on unique users, compared to 2023-24, and streaming viewership increased by 158% for this year’s playoffs. (Source: Streaming data based on internal ViewLift reports.) 

• Capitals games on MNMT outperformed ESPN’s programming in local markets during the game timeframe 69% of the time, FOX Sports 1 (92%), TNT (92%), and ESPN2 (99%). (Source: Nielsen Media Research, P2+ demo. DC & Baltimore DMA’s. Comparison to other network data based on overnight reports.) 

• Average viewership for Wizards NBA 2K26 Summer League games on MNMT increased by 76% this season compared to last year (P25-54). (Source: Nielsen Media Research, DC & BL DMA’s, P25-54. Data based on Washington Wizards Summer League games aired on MNMT/MNMT2, 7/12/24 – 7/19/25.) 

• Local TV viewership for 2025 Mystics games on MNMT has increased 34% in the D.C. and Baltimore markets through the first 20 games compared to last season. (Source: Nielsen Media Research, DC & BL DMA’s, HH demo. Data based on Washington Mystics games on MNMT/MNMT2, from 5/14/24 – 7/10/25) 

• Mystics fans have streamed 26% more average minutes per user than they did during the first half of the 2024 season and unique streaming viewers for Mystics games have increased 39% year-over-year. (Source: Streaming data based on ViewLift reports) 

• Washington Spirit viewership on MNMT has been at an all-time high in 2025, as viewership has increased 390% through the first three games broadcasted on the network during the 2025 season compared to last year’s full season average. (Source: Nielsen Media Research, DC & BL DMA’s, HH demo. Data based on Spirit games aired on MNMT/MNMT2, from 3/17/24 – 6/8/25) 

• MNMT’s Legacy on Ice broadcast viewership outperformed ESPN2’s programming during the same timeslot by 35%. (Source: Nielsen Media Research, DC & BL DMA’s, P2+ demo. 3/2/25) 

• Outside of Capitals, Wizards, and Mystics games, one of MNMT’s most-watched programs this season was TJ Oshie’s retirement ceremony on June 9, 2025. This program outperformed ESPN2 (by 211%) and FS1’s programming (by 322%) during the broadcast in the local market. (Source: Nielsen Media Research, DC & BL DMA’s, P2+ demo. 6/9/25) 

Industry Recognition 

2025 Capital Emmy Awards (21 shortlisted nominations, 12 wins) 

Community Service – MSE 

2025 Hashtag Sports Awards (17 shortlisted nominations, seven wins) 

Sports & Entertainment Company of the Year for Engagement Excellence – MSE 

Broadcast Team of the Year – MNMT 

2025 Cynopsis Sports Media Awards (Seven shortlisted nominations, three wins) 

Media Company of the Year – MSE 

Leaders Sports Awards: Leaders Under 40 – Zach Leonsis 

SBJ’s 2025 Game Changers – Friday Abernethy (General Manager, MNMT) 

Cablefax Most Powerful Women 2024 – Friday Abernethy  

SBJ’s Power Players: Sports Streaming – Charlie Myers (Chief Technology Officer, MSE) 

NSMA 2024 DC Sportscaster of the Year – Joe Beninati (Capitals play-by-play) and JP Finlay (Beltway Football host)  

NAB Show Project of the Year – MSE 

Telly Award, Best Craft-Set Design – MNMT 

2024 NAIOP DC | MD Award of Excellence – MNMT 

Sports Technology Power 100 List – MNMT 

### 

  
About Monumental Sports Network
Monumental Sports Network is wholly owned and operated by Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE). The network holds exclusive local television media rights for the NHL’s Washington Capitals, NBA’s Washington Wizards and WNBA’s Washington Mystics games. MNMT is also the TV and digital home to the NBA G League’s Capital City Go-Go and the NBA 2K League’s Wizards District Gaming as well as exclusive behind-the-scenes content and original sports and entertainment programming. The network also boasts the most comprehensive regional high school and collegiate sports programming in the greater Washington D.C. metro area. For more, visit: monumentalsportsnetwork.com.