Nationals officially announce new broadcast team: Kolko moves to full-time TV play-by-play

The Washington Nationals will have a revamped broadcast team for their first season away from MASN.

The team announced Thursday that Dan Kolko will be the full-time play-by-play man for its first season on Nationals.TV. 

“Literally a dream come true,” Kolko wrote on social media following the announcement. “I love this team and this city. Incredibly excited for what’s to come.”

Kolko, who worked on Nationals broadcasts with MASN for 12 seasons, will replace the retired Bob Carpenter in the booth and be joined by returning color commentator Kevin Frandsen, who has called Washington’s games for four seasons. 

“Do it your way,” Carpenter wrote in a message to Kolko on X. “Have a blast with Franny and [new reporter Alexa Datt] and I’m so happy for you!”

“It’s been a privilege to watch Dan Kolko grow throughout his time covering the organization, and I’m so proud of the work he’s put in to earn this position,” Nationals owner Mark Lerner said in a statement. “I know he and Kevin will continue to have a great rapport in the booth, entertaining and educating our viewers.”

Kolko’s promotion left an opening for a dugout reporter and host. The club turned to Datt, a Maryland native, for the role.

The University of Maryland alum most recently covered the St. Louis Cardinals and St. Louis Blues as a host for FanDuel Sports Network Midwest. There, she became the first woman to perform play-by-play duties for the Cardinals’ spring training games.

“I know our fans are going to love having Alexa in the mix as a host and reporter,” Mr. Lerner said. “We’re incredibly happy to welcome her back home.”

Datt also worked with MLB Network and NHL Network, hosting programs like “The Rundown,” “Quick Pitch,” “The Cycle” and “On the Fly.”

Frandsen shared his excitement on social media.

“So excited to be part of the brand new Nationals.TV crew with one of my best buddies, Dan Kolko and (welcome home) Alexa Datt,” Frandsen wrote. There is no doubt we are going to have a blast this year and many years to come as we watch this group grow!!! Now, for the baseball weather…..we are waiting!”

The upcoming MLB season will also be the first since the Nationals ended their long-contentious partnership with MASN.

The franchise announced this month that its games would air on the new Nationals.TV, produced in partnership with Major League Baseball.

Washington’s 162 regular-season matchups will be available to stream online through the league’s direct-to-consumer platform and will air on cable and satellite TV for fans in the D.C. area.

The Nationals have not confirmed what channel the games will air on or which cable and satellite providers will carry the new network. That information will be released later, the franchise said.

The team confirmed that Nationals.TV streaming subscriptions could be purchased through the MLB’s website or app beginning in February.

The Nationals are the seventh team to partner with MLB for its local broadcast rights, a number that has grown the past two years as regional sports networks struggle to stay afloat. All nine MLB clubs that were airing games through the FanDuel Sports Network canceled their contracts this month.

The Nationals’ new, MLB-produced broadcasts will feature increased access and special elements like a wire cam and shallow-depth angles in right field, the league said.

The new broadcast team will debut during spring training. The Nationals’ pitchers and catchers report on Feb. 11 in West Palm Beach, Florida. Their first exhibition is scheduled for Feb. 21, just over a month before their regular-season opener on March 26 against the Cubs in Chicago.