The Mid-Atlantic Sports Network announced today that 105 TV games for Our Washington Nationals will be aired in HD for 2009. Having read many comments elsewhere from others wanting to see more High Definition Broadcasts, I am sure this is good news for those Washington Fans. Not sure how many HD Games MASN televised in 2008, but I am pretty sure this is significantly more. Good for MASN.
Here is the complete press release:
MASN Announces Nationals and Orioles Television Schedules with HD Every Day of the Season
Nationals play 105 games on MASN HD, 95 games on MASN and 67 games on MASN2
Orioles play 105 games on MASN HD, 95 games on MASN and 66 games on MASN2
MASN HD launches on April 1
(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - MASN, the local leader in live sports entertainment and the television home of the Nationals and Orioles, announced its 2009 baseball schedule which includes 210 high-definition game broadcasts. With expanded high def coverage, the network will televise at least one game in HD every day throughout the season. Each team will have more than 100 games on MASN's new dedicated HD channel, MASN HD, which launches on April 1st.
The Orioles will play 95 games on MASN and 66 games on MASN2. Viewers in the Baltimore area will be able to watch 20 MASN-produced Orioles games simulcast on the network's over-the-air partner, WJZ-TV Channel 13.
The Nationals will have 95 live games on MASN and an additional 67 on MASN2. Washington DC-area viewers will also be able to watch 20 selected Sunday afternoon games on MASN's new over-the-air partner, DC50.
The new multiyear partnership with DC50 allows WDCW to simulcast 20 Sunday afternoon Nationals games over-the-air. Nats Xtra, MASN's exclusive pre and post game show, will also air on DC50 immediately before and after each game.
Pre and post-game shows, Nats Xtra and O's Xtra, will be be hosted on location from the ballpark for every home game of both clubs. In addition, MASN will introduce other production enhancements for the 2009 season, including new cameras that will bring fans closer to the action. The network will utilize an X-Mo camera, a new high-speed HD camera, that shoots more than 300 frames per second for crystal clear replays of the biggest moments on the field. The same camera was used during NBC's Super Bowl telecast last month, which captured Santonio Holmes' winning TD catch. In addition, MASN will debut a new broadcast look and graphics package for game broadcasts and for O's Xtra and Nats Xtra in 2009.
Expanding on MASN's successful first season of HD, the network will program 210 Major League Baseball high-definition broadcasts in 2009, giving sports fans an HD game every day of the season. MASN HD will feature games against marquis rivals like the Yankees (21 games), Phillies (19 games), Red Sox (21 games) and Mets (12 games).
In addition to the 208 regular season HD broadcasts, the network will televise two pre-season games in high definition. In total, six spring training games will air on MASN starting on March 6th when the Orioles host the Nationals in Fort Lauderdale. The other live televised spring training games will feature the Red Sox, Marlins and Braves.
"The best local source for coverage of the national pastime, MASN will again bring every available game of both the Nationals and Orioles into millions of households throughout our seven-state region," said MASN spokesman Todd Webster. "MASN's production enhancements, high speed camera, and in-game features will bring a whole new look to the broadcasts in 2009 as MASN offers HD every day. With the best talent team in baseball, special in-game features, and a 210 game HD package, MASN provides unmatched access to the Nationals and Orioles."
MASN is the television home of the Nationals and the Orioles. The network carries over 600 live sporting events every year including more than 275 NCAA Division I football, basketball, and lacrosse games. MASN is currently carried on 22 cable and satellite providers throughout a seven-state region.
To view the Nationals schedule on MASN, please click here:
http://www.masnsports.com/pdfs/2009_nationals_schedule.pdf
A move in the right direction!
ReplyDeleteSBF....I am sure many Nats Fans who would have been watching Nats games last year are FIOS TV customers. Last year FIOS TV carried NONE of the HD games. As of now they show no plans to carry the New MASN HD Channel! Do you know anything about the status of FIOS and HD Nats games for 2009? Can you ask around using your contacts please.....I may need to change back to DirectTV to see Nats in HD this year.
ReplyDeleteThank god, i hated wasting my HD the past few years! This expert likes the Nationals as a surprise team this season....http://fanzak.com/fzrants/Hope_Springs_Eternal
ReplyDeleteThat might be going out on a limb but at least we get some respect
It still sounds as if at least some of the Nats (and Orioles) games will NOT be shown in high definition, which means MASN remains the only regional sports network in the country not to show ALL the local MLB team's games in HD. If this is so, it's a step in the right direction, but we're still way behind the times.
ReplyDeleteFinally. Thank you MASN. Expect my DirectTV box to be AutoTuned to MASNHD, 105 times a year. (Unless we're at the park.) :)
ReplyDelete