Chase Hughes and Chris Miller Take Wizards Fans Off the Bench with Relaunch of Monumental Sports Network Podcast

Expert analysis, exclusive interviews, and inside perspectives from longtime Wizards insiders deliver a front row look as the team enters a pivotal new chapter

Washington, D.C. (June 18, 2026) - Monumental Sports Network (MNMT) today announced the official relaunch and expanded rollout of Off the Bench, a podcast hosted by MNMT Wizards reporter Chase Hughes and Wizards play-by-play announcer Chris Miller. Following an initial run of episodes during the latter half of the 2025-26 season, the show began the relaunch with a special episode previewing the highly-anticipated NBA Draft featuring Sam Vecenie of The Athletic and draft prospect Nate Ament. New episodes will be released weekly.

Drawing on Hughes and Miller's decades of combined experience covering the Wizards, Off the Bench gives fans an informed, insider perspective on the team's biggest stories, personalities and developments - on and off the court.

The podcast goes beyond traditional game analysis to provide behind-the-scenes context, candid discussion and direct access to the people closest to the action. Episodes feature interviews with current and former athletes, team staff, executives, media personalities and other influential figures with unique insight into the team and Washington basketball.

"Wizards fans are passionate, and eager for meaningful insight as the team's next era begins to take shape," said Friday Abernethy, General Manager of Monumental Sports Network. "The initial episodes of Off the Bench demonstrated the value of bringing Chase and Chris together for deeper, more candid conversations. With the show's relaunch, we're building on that foundation and giving fans consistent access to two trusted insiders who understand the team, personalities and dynamics behind the headlines."

Hughes and Miller are two of the most recognizable and trusted voices surrounding the Washington Wizards. Both have spent years chronicling the franchise's defining moments, developing relationships throughout the sports industry and building a deep understanding of the broader culture that shapes sports in the Washington region.

"Chris and I have spent years building relationships and covering the people and stories that define D.C. basketball," said Hughes. "The first episodes gave us an opportunity to begin shaping what Off the Bench could become. We're excited to take fans further beyond the headlines and provide the context, access and honest analysis that come from being close to the action."

The relaunch comes at a pivotal moment for basketball in Washington. With the Wizards holding the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft on June 23, Off the Bench will release two special episodes in the days immediately following the event, providing timely analysis, interviews and insider perspective surrounding one of the most consequential moments in franchise history.

Off the Bench builds on Monumental Sports Network's award-winning coverage and expanding slate of original podcast programming. MNMT was recently named both Sports Media Platform of the Year and Regional Sports Media Network of the Year at the 2026 Cynopsis Sports Media Awards, following its recognition as Broadcast Team of the Year at the 2025 Hashtag Sports Awards. Monumental Sports & Entertainment and MNMT also earned a record 12 Capital Emmy Awards in 2025 for work spanning live sports coverage, talent and original programming.

The new show joins previous MNMT podcast offerings including the Capitals-focused The Hockey Lifers and Beltway Football, extending the network's commitment to expert-led analysis, compelling interviews and year-round storytelling for Washington sports fans.

Fans can watch and listen to Off the Bench on the Monumental+ streaming app, access the podcast across major podcast platforms and find episodes through Monumental Sports Network's new podcast hub at monumentalplus.com.

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About Monumental Sports Network

Monumental Sports Network is wholly owned and operated by Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE). The network holds exclusive local television media rights for the NHL's Washington Capitals, NBA's Washington Wizards and WNBA's Washington Mystics games. MNMT is also the TV and digital home to the NBA G League's Capital City Go-Go and the NBA 2K League's Wizards District Gaming, as well as exclusive behind-the-scenes content and original sports and entertainment programming. The network also boasts the most comprehensive regional high school and collegiate sports programming in the greater Washington D.C. metro area. For more, visit: https://www.monumentalsportsnetwork.com.