What it costs to watch D.C. sports at home
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The Commanders, Wizards and Capitals play Thursday night. If you've figured out how to watch all three — and the rest of D.C. sports these days — we'd love to see your spreadsheet.
Why it matters: Finding enough screens is one challenge. Figuring out the cheapest way to catch the action is another.
The big picture: A decade ago, watching sports was relatively simple: Sign up for cable, endure the lousy customer service and find your games on the guide.
- Now, there's no single place to watch every game involving the Commanders, Nationals, Wizards, Capitals, Mystics, Spirit and D.C. United.
- We examined four ways to watch more than 450 games across the seven teams, with costs ranging from about $400 to nearly $2,000 a year.
The fine print: Some offerings changed during 2026, meaning the math could look different in 2027.
- The seasons span 15 months, so we've used monthly averages rather than total costs to compare options.
What kind of viewer are you?
1. Value player: ~ $33/month
For about $400 annually, three core subscriptions will get you access to a big chunk of D.C. sports:
- Monumental+ ($179.99/year): Locally televised Capitals, Wizards and Mystics games.
- Nationals.TV ($99.99/season): Locally televised Nationals games.
- Apple TV ($119/year): Every D.C. United match.
Add a cheap digital antenna for locally televised Commanders games and free platforms such as NWSL+ and the Roku Sports Channel for some Spirit matches.
- The catch: You'll miss some regular-season games exclusive to national broadcasters and streaming services — often higher-profile matchups.
- The bigger catch: If teams make the playoffs, you'll need a new strategy. Better build bar tabs into your budget.
2. Subscription strategist: ~ $70/month
To watch most games without paying for every streaming service year-round, you'll need a new hobby: tracking broadcast schedules and subscription renewal dates.
- This is for the type of person who still balances their checkbook.
The strategy: Start with the core subscriptions listed above, then strategically activate and cancel others, including Prime Video, Peacock, ESPN and HBO Max.
- Actual costs depend on schedules, lengths of playoff runs and how carefully you time this.
- Our estimate, based on 2026, could look significantly different in 2027.
- Other costs include internet, a digital antenna and the forgetfulness tax of letting subs run longer than necessary.
3. Cable traditionalist: ~ $135/month
Sticking with cable is the simplest plan, though it isn't completely comprehensive.
- Xfinity advertises its TV Premium package for $135 monthly, including regional sports networks and ESPN Unlimited.
- That covers local Capitals, Wizards, Mystics and Nationals broadcasts, plus many nationally televised games.
- Hope you hate soccer. Almost all D.C. United matches require Apple TV, while some Spirit games are exclusive to other streaming platforms.
Cable puts you in position for playoffs, but the Mystics' postseason opener on Prime Video in September would have required a digital trip to Bezos' bookstore.
4. The completist: ~ $165/month
Want nearly every game without constantly managing subscriptions? Convenience comes at a price.
- Start with Xfinity TV Premium, then keep Apple TV, Prime Video and Peacock subscriptions active. Free streaming platforms fill remaining gaps.
- The only catch: You still need to figure out which channel — or app — has tonight's game.
The bottom line: Planning your viewership has become its own sport. And it can be expensive.
- But it's remarkable we can watch almost any game from our living rooms — or even on our phones while riding the Red Line.
- Sure beats adjusting the rabbit ears.