Nationals, Costa Media team up for Spanish-language radio broadcasts

The Washington Nationals are thrilled to announce Costa Media as the official Spanish-language radio broadcast partner of the team for the 2024 season. For every game this season, fans can tune in to DC 87.7 FM and La Pantera 100.7 FM/1220 AM for live Spanish-language broadcasts, with in-game play-by-play analysis, 15-minute pre- and postgame shows, in-depth organizational reporting, and player interviews.

Programming will begin with the ON DECK: Nationals Futures Game on March 26, with regular-season coverage starting on Opening Day, March 28 vs. the Cincinnati Reds. The radio broadcasts will also be available to MLB.TV subscribers with no blackout restrictions.

“My team and I are very excited about this partnership with the Nationals,” said Jose Villafane, Managing Partner of Costa Media. “Baseball is a favorite sport among Latinos, and we feel honored and privileged to bring this live play-by-play programming in the native Spanish language to our loyal and passionate Hispanic audience in the DMV.”

The Nationals Spanish-language radio broadcast team will be made up of Luciano Rodríguez on the play-by-play and Gustavo Salazar providing color commentary. Rodriguez and Salazar join the Nationals broadcasting team that includes Bob Carpenter, Kevin Frandsen and Dan Kolko on MASN and Dave Jageler and Charlie Slowes on 106.7 The Fan FM.

“When we go out on the field every game, the guys know we’re there to represent DC – and it’s always our goal to make all of DC proud, including our strong Hispanic community,” said manager Dave Martinez.  “I’m excited that we’ll now be able to reach even more fans with this partnership. We have a lot of guys on our roster who take pride in their Hispanic heritage, and I know they’re excited too.” 

The Nationals 40-man roster includes players who represent their home countries of the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Venezuela. Additionally, Martinez is one of six active Latino managers in Major League Baseball. According to Major League Baseball, over 30% of professional baseball players in MLB identified as Hispanic or Latino during the 2023 season.

Fans can follow the Nationals Spanish-language social media accounts on X and Facebook. 

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About the broadcasters:

Luciano Rodríguez, Play-by-Play

Luciano Rodriguez returns to the Washington Nationals radio booth for the 2024 season as part of the new Spanish-language broadcasts on DC 87.7 FM and La Pantera 100.7 FM / 1220 AM. In 2009, Rodriguez held dual roles for Washington Nationals Spanish-language radio broadcast team, providing play-by-play and color analysis on WZHF 1390 AM. A 40-year veteran of DC Latin sports broadcasts, Rodriguez got his start in Spanish-language radio in the late 1980s as a sports reporter at WILC 900 AM, where he would later serve as sports director from 1989 to 1998. He then moved WACA 1540 AM in the same role. In 1993, Rodriguez ventured into Major League Baseball as the first Spanish-language color commentator for the Baltimore Orioles. From 2005 to 2015 Rodriguez worked for SiriusXM as a Spanish-language play-by-play host, color commentator and producer, covering baseball and various other sports. 

Gustavo Salazar, Color Analyst and Producer

Gustavo Salazar is a third-generation broadcaster. His family has a combined 95-year legacy within the Latin broadcast industry. In addition to joining the Nationals Spanish-language radio broadcast team this season, Salazar can be heard on Costa-Media’s Los Reyes de la Radio morning show on DC 87.7 FM. A twenty-year broadcast veteran, Salazar was an integral part of CBS Radio and iHeart radio’s Latin radio market growth in Washington DC and Philadelphia. From 2018-2022, Gustavo was an NFL Broadcaster for the Philadelphia Eagles and Baltimore Ravens Spanish-language radio broadcasts including calling the Eagles Super Bowl LII Victory season. Along with his NFL Experience, Gustavo has also broadcast games for Major League Soccer and Major League Baseball, and currently also works as a sports producer for SiriusXM sports.

For more information on Costa Media, visit costa-media.com.

For more information on the Nationals broadcast team, please visit the nats.com page here.