The Washington Nationals are preparing for a significant broadcast transition, as the organization has selected longtime MASN on-air personality Dan Kolko as its next television play-by-play announcer, replacing the recently retired Bob Carpenter in the booth.
According to a report by The Washington Times, the Nationals have yet to formally confirm their broadcast team for the upcoming season. However, Kolko’s promotion signals a shift toward continuity and internal development as the franchise reshapes its media presence during a period of operational change.
Kolko has been a familiar face to Nationals fans for more than a decade, having joined MASN coverage in 2012 and spending years as the club’s primary dugout reporter, while also contributing pregame, postgame, and in-game analysis across platforms.
As Carpenter gradually scaled back his workload during the 2025 season, Kolko received opportunities to call select television games, which offered viewers an extended audition and gave the organization a chance to evaluate his comfort with the rhythm and responsibility of play-by-play duties.
The 2026 season represents a historic reset for Nationals television coverage, marking the first year since the franchise relocated to Washington in 2005 that Carpenter will not serve as the voice of the club. Equally notable, the season ushers in a new distribution model following the conclusion of the Nationals’ long-standing relationship with MASN, which had carried the team’s games since its arrival in the District.
Earlier this month, the Nationals announced that all local broadcasts would move to Nationals.TV, a new platform produced in partnership with Major League Baseball, aligning the organization with the league’s expanding direct-to-consumer strategy. Under the new arrangement, every regular-season game will stream digitally through MLB’s platform, while also airing on cable and satellite television throughout the Washington market, although specific channel placements and provider details remain unannounced.
The team confirmed that subscription options for Nationals.TV will become available through MLB’s website and app beginning in February, offering fans a standalone alternative as traditional regional sports networks continue to contract.
Washington becomes the seventh MLB club to transition local rights to league control, a number that has risen rapidly as financial pressures mount across the RSN landscape, including the recent collapse of multiple deals involving the FanDuel Sports Network.
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