The Washington Nationals’ 2026 Grapefruit League home opener against the Houston Astros on Saturday, Feb. 21, at 1:05 p.m., is available to watch FOR FREE on Nationals.TV with no credit card required.
Fans looking to catch James Wood, Dylan Crews, Daylen Lile and the rest of first-year manager Blake Butera’s squad just need to log into their accounts on the MLB App or MLB.com, navigate to the Nationals vs. Astros matchup and click watch. MLB accounts are free to create.
Play-by-play announcer Dan Kolko, analyst Kevin Frandsen and host and reporter Alexa Datt will have the call live from CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach, Fla. All Spring Training games available on Nationals.TV are FREE to stream.
*YES Network game broadcast available on Nationals.TV
**World Baseball Classic exhibition game
^MLB Spring Breakout Series: Nationals Prospects vs. Cardinals Prospects
In January, the Nationals announced that local games would be produced and distributed by MLB. A few of the most commonly asked questions about the new agreement are below, and more information is available at Nationals.com/Watch.
Q: How can I watch regular-season Nationals games?
A: Fans inside the Nationals home territory can watch Nationals games (subject to national exclusivities) on cable or satellite television or can stream Nationals games with a Nationals.TV subscription.
Q: When will we know which cable and satellite providers will carry Nationals games and what channel games will be on?
A: MLB is currently negotiating carriage agreements with the top cable and satellite providers in our area. Based on other teams whose games are produced and distributed by MLB, these agreements are typically finalized in the days leading up to Opening Day.
Q: Will I need to change my cable or satellite subscription to watch Nationals games?
A: Based on previous teams whose games have been produced and distributed by MLB, we expect that Nationals games will remain on the same cable and satellite packages that they have been previously, but we cannot confirm that right now.
Q: How can I stream Nationals games?
A: Fans who live inside the Nationals home television territory can stream games with a Nationals.TV subscription.
Q: Can I watch Nationals games with a regular MLB.TV subscription?
A: No – fans who live inside the home television territory must either get Nationals.TV through their cable or satellite provider or purchase a Nationals.TV subscription. MLB.TV subscriptions will only work for Nationals games for fans who live outside our home territory.
For more information, including a map of the Nationals home television territory and a full list of Frequently Asked Questions, visit Nationals.com/Watch.