By Jim Kimble / Updated April 8, 2022
This guide shows you how to watch Washington Nationals games live without a cable TV or satellite package. Most games are on the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN).
Nationally televised games during the regular season in 2022 are on FOX, ESPN, FS1, TBS and MLB Network. A few post-season games air on ABC.
Table of Contents
- New, free ways to watch Washington Nationals
- Live Streaming Washington Nationals Games
- Where can I watch MASN?
- Stream Washington Nationals Games on Roku, Fire TV Stick
- DIRECTV STREAM
- Are Washington Nationals Games on YouTube TV?
- Streaming Washington Nationals on ESPN and cable channels
- Watch Washington Nationals on MLB.tv
- Nationals games on Apple TV+ and Peacock
- Are the Washington Nationals on ESPN+ in 2022?
- How to Watch Nationals games free with a TV antenna
- What channel is the Washington Nationals game on tonight?
New, free ways to watch Washington Nationals
Apple TV+ will stream two live baseball games on Friday nights during the 2022 MLB season. The Friday night doubleheaders on Apple will be free. (Details are below.)
NBC’s Peacock is streaming games in a new Sunday morning time slot.
Keep in mind that streaming MLB games isn’t your only option.
Cord-cutters can watch some national broadcast games for free using a TV antenna.
I started streaming MLB games in 2016 back when PlayStation Vue began carrying NESN in its channel lineup.
This guide aims to give you a comprehensive look at how to watch Nationals games without cable TV for the 2022 season.
Live Streaming Washington Nationals Games
The Washington Nationals broadcast most of their games on MASN. The regional sports channel has exclusive rights to in-market Washington Nationals games.
MASN is only carried by one streaming service, DIRECTV STREAM.
Where can I watch MASN?
MASN is available to pay-TV subscribers in the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area.
The network is generally available in Delaware, Maryland, the District of Columbia, eastern and central North Carolina, south central Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.
Stream Washington Nationals Games on Roku, Fire TV Stick
Watching live Washington Nationals games without cable TV is pretty simple. You just need a few things to start streaming MLB games on your TV.
- A streaming service that carries MASN and the channels that carry national broadcast Washington Nationals games
- An Internet connection
- A Smart TV or streaming device such as a Roku connected to your TV
You can watch live TV channels through the app of streaming services such as DIRECTV STREAM. Live TV streaming services have apps for Roku, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Google Chromecast with Google TV.
These apps are also available on Smart TVs, iPhones, iPads and Android smartphones. You can watch live TV on a PC through a web browser.
DIRECTV STREAM
DIRECTV STREAM has every channel needed to watch Washington Nationals games in 2022.
A subscription costs $89.99 per month for 90+ channels. MASN, ESPN, MLB Network, FS1, and local channels such as ABC and FOX are included in the Choice lineup.
Subscribers can get three months of HBO Max, Showtime, Cinemax and EPIX for free before the monthly rates kick in. You can watch live TV on up to 20 screens at once.
You can sign up for a free 5-day trial without any obligations. Every plan includes unlimited Cloud DVR and a robust library of on-demand movies and shows.
There are no contracts. There are no additional regional sports fees.You can subscribe month to month and cancel whenever you want.
DIRECTV STREAM works on Roku, Android TV, Fire TV devices, Apple TV and smartphones and tablets.
You can look over the different channel lineups before making any decisions.
Are Washington Nationals Games on YouTube TV?
No, YouTube TV does not carry MASN.
YouTube TV does have channels for nationally televised games. DIRECTV STREAM, Hulu + Live TV and Sling TV carries channels for nationally televised Washington Nationals games as well.
Streaming Washington Nationals on ESPN and cable channels
If you’re trying to narrow your focus to a specific cable TV network, no worries. You can read my guides on how to watch ABC, FOX, ESPN, FS1, TBS and MLB Network without cable.
Watch Washington Nationals on MLB.tv
The MLB also has MLB.tv which live streams all out-of-market games for every team.
Washington Nationals games are blacked out for fans living in the team’s home broadcast region. The service allows subscribers who live in an out-of-market area to watch Nationals games.
A subscription to MLB.tv costs $24.99 per month. Amazon Prime members can get a free 7-day trial of MLB.tv through Amazon Channels. The regular rate kicks in once the trial ends.
Nationals games on Apple TV+ and Peacock
Apple TV+ is delivering a weekly Friday night doubleheader during the 2022 MLB season.
The first leg of doubleheader MLB games will be free to anyone with internet access, according to Apple. The company released its schedule of games that begin on April 8.
Apple TV+ works on most major streaming devices including Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Google Chromecast with Google TV. Smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, Vizio, Panasonic and Hisense are also supported.
Peacock is expected to start streaming Sunday morning MLB games on May 8.
Games will be available on the Premium plan. Peacock Premium costs $4.99 per month. There is a free 7-day trial for Peacock Premium.
| DATE | TIME | MATCHUP |
|---|---|---|
| May 8 | 11:30 a.m. ET | Chicago White Sox at Boston Red Sox |
| May 15 | 11:30 a.m. ET | San Diego Padres at Atlanta Braves |
| May 22 | 11:30 a.m. ET | St. Louis Cardinals at Pittsburgh Pirates |
| May 29 | 11:30 a.m. ET | San Francisco Giants at Cincinnati Reds |
| June 5 | 11:30 a.m. ET | Detroit Tigers at New York Yankees |
| June 12 | 11:30 a.m. ET | Oakland Athletics at Cleveland Guardians |
| June 19 | Noon ET | Philadelphia Phillies at Washington Nationals |
| June 26 | Noon ET | New York Mets at Miami Marlins |
| July 3 | Noon ET | Kansas City Royals at Detroit Tigers |
| July 10 | Noon ET | Los Angeles Angels at Baltimore Orioles |
| July 17 | Noon ET | Kansas City Royals at Toronto Blue Jays |
| July 24 | Noon ET | Chicago Cubs at Philadelphia Phillies |
| July 31 | Noon ET | Detroit Tigers at Toronto Blue Jays |
| August 7 | Noon ET | Houston Astros at Cleveland Guardians |
| August 14 | Noon ET | San Diego Padres at Washington Nationals |
| August 21 | Noon ET | Chicago White Sox at Cleveland Guardians |
| August 28 | Noon ET | Los Angeles Dodgers at Miami Marlins |
| September 4 | Noon ET | Toronto Blue Jays at Pittsburgh Pirates |
Peacock works on Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV and Roku. The service also has apps for a wide variety of Android TV-enabled Smart TVs, including Sony. Smart TVs by LG, Samsung, Vizio and Hisense are supported as well.
You can sign up for a free 7-day trial for Peacock Premium.
Are the Washington Nationals on ESPN+ in 2022?
Yes. ESPN+ is once again streaming one MLB game per day that is part of the national broadcast schedule. Out-of-market games are still governed by local blackout restrictions. But you already knew that.
In other words, you will need your local regional sports channel to watch home games.
Each MLB team will be on ESPN+ at least 10 times by the end of the season. Replays are made available after a live game streams on ESPN+.
A subscription to ESPN+ costs $6.99 per month, and you can check the upcoming lineup of MLB games.
How to Watch Nationals games free with a TV antenna
A TV antenna is the best way to watch Washington Nationals games that are carried on ABC and FOX for free.
If you have a TV antenna handy, but haven’t used it in a while, plug it into your television’s coax port and scan for channels. FOX broadcasts games throughout the regular season. ABC becomes a key channel for post-season games.
If you are new to TV antennas, here is a list of resources that I have written to get you started.
- How to Choose the Best TV Antenna and OTA DVR
- How to Connect Multiple TVs to One Antenna
- Review: The Best Indoor TV Antennas
- Review: The Best Outdoor TV Antennas
What channel is the Washington Nationals game on tonight?
Washington Nationals games are typically on MASN. The schedule below breaks down what channel or streaming service has national broadcast games for the 2022 MLB season.
| DAY | WASHINGTON NATIONALS MLB NATIONAL BROADCAST |
|---|---|
| Sunday morning | Peacock |
| Sunday afternoon | TBS |
| Sunday night | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| Monday night | ESPN or FS1 |
| Tuesday night | TBS |
| Wednesday Night | ESPN, FS1, MLB Network |
| Thursday Night | ESPN, FOX and MLB Network |
| Friday Night | Apple TV+ |
| Saturday Afternoon | FOX |
| Saturday Night | FOX, FS1 |
For more news on streaming, how-to guides and reviews, head over to the main page of The Cord Cutting Report or follow the CCR on Google News.
FAQs
How can I stream Washington Nationals games? ›
fuboTV. FuboTV carries the local Fox channel in some parts of the country along with MLB Network, ESPN and FS1 for watching nationally televised games. They offer a fuboTV subscription. After the trial, its basic package costs $74.99.
How can I watch the Nationals game without cable? ›Vidgo is another option for watching Washington Nationals without cable during the 2024 season. It costs $59.99 for the “English Plus” package. For your money, you'll get 110+ total channels. You'll get ESPN and MLB Network, as well as FS1 and FOX.
What channel are the Nationals playing on? ›All games air on MASN or MASN2.
Why isn t the Nationals game on TV? ›nationally for viewers in the U.S. However, the game will not be broadcast on conventional TV channels. Apple TV+ has exclusive broadcast rights. The game will be exclusively available via Apple TV+, which can be accessed via the Apple TV+ app on smart TVs and streaming devices.
Can I get MASN on Hulu live? ›Can I Watch MASN on Hulu + Live TV? No, Hulu + Live does not offer MASN in its streaming channel lineup. Hulu + Live TV has over 75 channels to watch live sports, news, events, and more. The lineup includes FS1, FS2, NFL Network, Big Ten Network, TBS, SEC Network, and more.
Can you live stream MASN? ›MASN is now providing live streams of both MASN and MASN2 on MASNsports.com and through the new MASN Mobile App. In order to be able to watch the live streams online, fans will need to be subscribed to a participating cable system that already includes MASN in their package.
Is MASN on Amazon Prime? ›What streaming service has MASN? DIRECTV STREAM is currently the only live TV streaming service that has MASN. Subscribers can use an Amazon Fire TV Stick, Roku, Apple TV and Google Chromecast with Google TV to watch.
Can I get MASN on Roku? ›MASN Everywhere | TV App | Roku Channel Store | Roku.
What streaming services include MASN? ›DirecTV Stream National Channels
The DirecTV Stream Entertainment package allows you to stream a total of 65 channels including MASN - Mid Atlantic Sports Network and ESPN, TNT, or Nickelodeon for 69.99.
- Amazon Prime.
- AMC+
- DAZN.
- Disney+
- ESPN+
- Fanatiz.
- FITE TV.
- FloSports.
How do I get MLB.TV for free? ›
...
To Activate Your FREE Subscription:
- Click "GET MLB.TV FREE"
- Login/Register with a FREE MLB account.
- Authenticate your student credentials with ID.me.
- Use your MLB account to watch MLB.TV.
Headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, the channel broadcasts regional coverage of sports events in the Washington D.C and Baltimore metropolitan areas. Washington, D.C.
Which streaming service has NBC sports Washington? ›Watch NBC Sports Washington Network Online | Hulu (Free Trial)
Where can I watch MASN without cable? ›- Amazon Prime.
- AMC+
- DAZN.
- Disney+
- ESPN+
- Fanatiz.
- FITE TV.
- FloSports.