Major League Baseball will take over production and distribution of Washington Nationals local broadcasts beginning this season, a move that also brings a Montgomery County native into a prominent on air role, as Alexa Datt is set to join the Nationals broadcast team as the club’s new sideline reporter.
Per MLB.com, Nationals games will now be produced and distributed directly by Major League Baseball, making them available to in market fans on cable and satellite television, as well as through MLB’s direct to consumer streaming platform, Nationals.TV. Fans will be able to purchase streaming subscriptions through MLB.com or the MLB App when packages go on sale in February. Additional details, including cable and satellite channel information, will be announced in the coming weeks.
According to Washington Post reporter Andrew Golden, Datt will be part of the Nationals’ new broadcast lineup as the team enters this MLB produced era. A Derwood native, she graduated from Magruder High School in 2003 and the University of Maryland in 2007, giving the Nationals a hometown connection familiar to many local fans.
Datt is a veteran sports broadcaster and host currently with FanDuel Sports Network Midwest, formerly Bally Sports, where she most recently covered the St. Louis Cardinals and St. Louis Blues. Her career includes early internships at America’s Most Wanted and Comcast SportsNet in Washington, D.C., followed by an associate producer role at SportsNet New York. From 2014 to 2017, she served as the in stadium host and reporter for the New York Mets at Citi Field.
In 2018, Datt joined MLB Network, where she hosted programs including The Rundown and Quick Pitch and led the MLB.com daily show 12:25 Live with Alexa. Most recently, in early 2025, she made history as the first female broadcaster to handle play by play for a St. Louis Cardinals local broadcast during Spring Training.
Nationals Managing Principal Owner Mark D. Lerner called the move a major step forward for the franchise’s media presentation.
“Today’s announcement represents a new chapter for Washington Nationals baseball,” Lerner said. “We are excited to have already begun work with the talented team at MLB, and the collaboration is off to a strong start as we work together to elevate the viewing experience with world class broadcasts across television and streaming.”
Lerner added that partnering with MLB will create new opportunities to improve the on air product through technological enhancements, closer collaboration with broadcasters, and added value for corporate partners.
The Nationals become the seventh team whose local games will be produced and distributed by MLB, joining the Diamondbacks, Guardians, Mariners, Padres, Rockies, and Twins. MLB produced local broadcasts have featured increased access and technical innovation in recent seasons, including enhancements such as Wire Cam and shallow depth RF cameras, both of which will be part of the Nationals.TV viewing experience this season. MLB has won multiple Sports Emmy Awards for its local and national game productions.
Additional information, including the full television broadcast team, the 2026 Spring Training schedule, and specific production plans, is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.