Monumental Sports Network Launches State-of-the-Art Production Facility and Broadcast Studios Stay tuned to SVG for more in-depth coverage of Monumentals new facility later this week. By SVG Staff Tuesday, March 19, 2024 - 11:08 am
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Monumental Sports Network (MNMT) announced today the opening of a brand-new multi-million dollar home for the local media platform, including a best-in-class production facility and broadcast studios, located adjacent to Capital One Arena at 700 6th Street in downtown Washington, D.C. The first official broadcast in the new studio will be Thursday night for the Washington Wizards vs. Sacramento Kings matchup. Stay tuned to SVG for more in-depth coverage of Monumental's new facility later this week.
Fans of the NHL's Washington Capitals, the NBA's Washington Wizards, the WNBA's Washington Mystics, the G-League's Capital City Go-Go, and more will see the new studio featured during on-air broadcasts, beginning with the Capitals road game on Monday, March 18 against the Calgary Flames. The space will serve as a remarkable backdrop for the teams' pre- and post-game shows, halftime and intermission reports, and other original programming on the network.
The opening of this state-of-the-art facility represents the most significant step yet in our journey to create a best-in-class media experience for our amazing fanbase, says Zach Leonsis, President of Media & New Enterprises at Monumental Sports & Entertainment. This new IP-based media center paves the way for higher quality video, better programming, and more content about our fans' favorite teams. We're so excited to deliver a national broadcast-quality experience to one of the largest and most influential markets in the world.
The new production center, which Monumental Sports Network began designing in June of 2022, is a two-story, SMPTE 2110 facility that features two top quality studios which can combine on non-conflict nights to create one single national telecast worthy experience. The main studios feature 24 cameras, 1,200 square feet of 4K quality LED monitors, and innovative robotics to help create the best possible pre- and post-game show viewing experiences for sports fans in the national capital region. The facility also includes two insert studios, five control rooms to produce multiple events simultaneously, and brand-new office space for more than 150 Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE) employees.
This best-in-class workspace will ensure we deliver the most remarkable version of sports programming to our fans across the DMV region and truly allows us to be in a class of our own amongst local media platforms across the country, added Friday Abernethy, General Manager for Monumental Sports Network.
Because the new facility features a SMPTE 2110 system, the space is flexible and can accommodate future advancements that allow for increased resolution for broadcasts. Before the end of the current Capitals and Wizards seasons, Monumental Sports Network will 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 high definition. The new facility is also built to upgrade its video quality to 4K in the future.
The SMPTE 2110 system and other innovative technologies leveraged in our new facility not only will help us deliver a higher quality broadcast to fans this season but will allow us to continue to innovate and improve our product moving forward, said Charlie Myers, Chief Technology Officer at Monumental Sports & Entertainment.
In August 2022, MSE recognized the incredible value of live sports media rights and took a bold approach to reinvest in its regional broadcast rights by acquiring full ownership of NBC Sports Washington from Comcast/NBC Universal. Throughout 2023, the organization worked tirelessly to combine NBC Sports Washington's linear channel and Monumental's existing digital assets into a state-of-the-art digitally focused media platform.
This transformation included a complete rebrand and revamped programming lineup, building out an executive team with decades of media experience from organizations such as Disney, DirecTV, DaZN, and Discovery, retaining and transitioning all network employees, building out new production infrastructure and systems, and reimagining the fan experience and integrating never-before-seen enhancements.
Launched in September 2023, the end product is a reinvention of NBC Sports Washington's linear channel into Monumental Sports Network, a state-of-the-art digitally focused media platform. In October, Monumental Sports Network unveiled direct-to-consumer (DTC) subscription memberships for viewers seeking to access Monumental Sports Network's live and on-demand programming without a Pay TV service.
In recognition of MSE's exemplary achievements throughout the year, in December, Sports Business Journal (SBJ) announced Monumental Sports Network as the recipient of its Best in Local Media award for 2023.
In addition to live games for the Capitals, Wizards, Mystics, Capital City Go-Go, and MSE's esports franchises, Monumental Sports Network boasts a comprehensive schedule of live college and high school sports programming, and has broadcast partnerships with the NWSL's Washington Spirit and Major League Rugby's Old Glory DC for their 2024 seasons.
Fans from Delaware to Richmond can watch Monumental Sports Network on linear tv, on monumentalsportsnetwork.com across desktop, tablet, and mobile devices, or by downloading the Monumental streaming app on Android, Apple TV, iOS, Fire TV, LG TV, Roku, Samsung TV, Vizio TV, and Xfinity X1, and more platforms to be launched in the future.
