For the fourth consecutive year, two games of the Major League Baseball Playoffs will air on the league's year-round home: MLB Network. And MLB Network is pulling out all the stops - high-speed cameras, a wealth of production tools, enhanced audio - to deliver every crack of the bat, slide into first, and umpire call.
Every year, we've tried to [figure out] what's a better way to document the game, what's a better way to entertain viewers or inform viewers, says Chris Pfeiffer, senior coordinating producer, live events, MLB Network. Every year, we've taken some pretty good steps.
MLB Network begins its postseason slate today with Game 2 of the American League Division Series, featuring the Texas Rangers at the Toronto Blue Jays. As it has done in the past, MLB Network will work out of Fox Sports' production truck (Game Creek Dynasty) and rely on Fox's camera complement at Rogers Centre: eight hard cameras, an RF handheld, three robotic cameras, a Grass Valley 6X super-slow-motion camera, and Inertia Unlimited's X-Mo and Dirtcam.
For this postseason, MLB Network has added two Vision Research Phantom cameras at low first and low third.
We always work very closely with Fox; we have a great relationship with them, says Susan Stone, SVP, operations and engineering, MLB Network. We partner with them on what their equipment levels are, and then we supplement with certain specialty items that are really important for our philosophy of coverage.
MLB Network will also cover Game 3 of the ALDS between the Kansas City Royals and Houston Astros on Sunday. The network will once again deploy two Phantom cameras to supplement Fox's onsite equipment in Houston. According to MLB Network VP, Remote Operations, Tom Guidice, the crew will have access to an additional RF handheld and a Freefly M VI three-axis-gyro-stabilized camera at Minute Maid Park; Dirtcam will not be used. For Game 3, MLB Network will operate out of Game Creek's Apollo and Edit 1 units.
Visualizing the Stats, Hearing the Bats
In both Toronto and Houston, MLB Network will deploy two additional cameras for Statcast, MLB Advanced Media's real-time tracking technology powered by Amazon Web Services. Statcast, unveiled at the beginning of this season, will make its postseason debut today.
We're pretty excited about using it during the playoffs, says Pfeiffer. The announcers get pretty excited on how it can tell a story, and we've been pretty aggressive with that. I think everybody's looking forward to using it for Friday and Sunday.
MLB Network will also deploy its innovative real-time defensive-alignment graphic Shift Trax and PITCHf/x, to provide live and in-depth metrics about every play.
[Shift Trax] is a way for the viewers - since it's up on the screen 90% of the time - to look up there any time they want, explains Pfeiffer. Teams are shifting almost every player in every situation, depending on what the count is. There's a lot of action going on defensively, and, with Shift Trax, you can watch that happening in real time.
Looking for a way to further enhance the audio experience, MLB Network will place microphones in each base, a decision that not only adds to the overall experience but can help on a close play. The umpire will again be miked, and all audio recorded from on-field microphones will be recorded and played back.
Miking the bases gives you the enhanced sounds of the game, the sounds around the plate, says Stone. If somebody's sliding into a base, it just gives so much more depth and dimension to the telecast and really adds to the viewer experience.
A Memorable Open Once More
MLB Network will also unveil a new postseason-show opening. Following the success of its Emmy Award-winning opens in 2012 ( The Scrapbook ) and 2014 ( Hall of Heroes ) and Emmy-nominated open in 2013 ( A Field of Dreams ), MLB Network worked with Reveal42 and Creative Director Miguel Oldenburg to create a new concept, in which Little Leaguers transform into Major League athletes.
Because of the short time frame, the network also leaned heavily on animations created by MLB.com.
These kinds of opens you can't build three or four months in advance, because you need to know what teams are going to be involved, says Pfeiffer. The process really starts the first week in September, so it's a pretty quick turnaround. We're coming down the home stretch, so we're excited about that.
Secaucus Gets in on the Action
While MLB Network is on the road in Toronto and Houston, the remote operation will have the full force of its Secaucus, NJ-based headquarters for support, including two edit suites, graphics operators, EVS servers, and more.
After the games are over, MLB Network will continue to surround the postseason with nearly 200 hours of live coverage: game previews, highlights, analysis, interviews, and press conferences across all studio programming. MLB Tonight will air before and after every postseason game, including the World Series, onsite at each ballpark.
It's always great for us to have exclusive content on our air. For us, [the ALDS] is our World Series, says Stone. We dedicate 100% of our effort, and everybody behind the scenes in Secaucus as well as on the road has totally bought in and is totally behind putting the best possible production on the air.
Most recent headlines
17/02/2025
TVBEurope talks to the team who brought a piece of broadcasting history back to life on BBC Wales last night
By Jenny Priestley
Published: February 14, 2025 ...
17/02/2025
Eligible studios will receive the relief directly from their local authorities, with no need to submit a claim
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: February 17, 20...
17/02/2025
As DEI initiatives come under pressure in the USA, supporters of Rise, which promotes diversity in the media and entertainment sector, discuss the continuing im...
17/02/2025
EIB Global loan will partially fund SES's continued O3b mPOWER medium earth orbit (MEO) fleet expansion enabling additional capacity worldwide. O3b mPOWER s...
15/02/2025
At Nielsen, Business Resource Groups (BRGs) play a critical role in nurturing a ...
15/02/2025
Innovation to empower creativity: Explore the latest in Lightroom
Rob Christensen February 15, 2025
0 Comments
Whether you want to remove distracting ...
15/02/2025
Wisycom, a worldwide leader in RF technology and provider of wireless solutions, announces a new distribution agreement with EQUAPHON. An Argentinian profession...
15/02/2025
DPA Microphones, the leading manufacturer of high-quality microphone solutions, is pleased to welcome Nicholas Nick Mariano and Vincent Vince Divine to the ...
15/02/2025
Tuxera, a leading provider of quality-assured file systems and networking solutions, will showcase how Tuxera Fusion SMB enables unprecedented performance for m...
15/02/2025
Bitmovin's latest Video Developer Report indicates an increasing role of AI, the slow adoption of next-generation codecs, and continuing challenges when it ...
15/02/2025
When Michelin Enterprises set out to promote its prestigious Hotel Guide in the new Sleepless in the Kitchen , campaign, veteran German/Slovenian gaffer Robert...
15/02/2025
Formula E, the world's first all-electric racing series, revolutionizing motorsport with cutting-edge technology and a commitment to sustainability has sele...
15/02/2025
Agile Content, a global leader in TV and video technology solutions, announces its rebranding to AgileTV.
The transition to AgileTV stems from a commitment to ...
15/02/2025
Hiltron Communications will promote the latest additions to its range of satellite communication products, systems and supporting services at GovSatCom 2025. Th...
15/02/2025
Following the success of the original Airglow Booklight, DoPchoice debuts a new addition to their inflatable line the Float. This lightweight, inflatable, round...
15/02/2025
LAS VEGAS Marshall Electronics has announced that it will debut its newest camera controller, the RCP Plus, at the 2025 NAB Show at Booth N2649 between April 5 ...
15/02/2025
ATLANTA Gray Media has named Blake Sebo as the next general manager of KTUU and KYES, Gray's NBC and CBS affiliates in Anchorage, Alaska....
15/02/2025
KOKKEDAL, Denmark DPA Microphones will feature its new CORE+ technology for distortion-free microphone sound at the 2025 NAB Show, April 5-9, in Las Vegas....
15/02/2025
SWANSEA, U.K. QuickLink will launch StudioPro-NDI and StudioPro-3, two new models of its QuickLine StudioPro video production platform, at the 2025 NAB Show, Ap...
15/02/2025
Live From 2025 NBA All-Star Game Weekend: After 25 Years, Turner Sports All-In F...
15/02/2025
NASCAR Driver Cam on Max Embraces Cloud-Based Workflow for 2025 Season Chris Brown of WBD Sports says Mobii will play key part in delivering signals from the tr...
14/02/2025
Last month, we officially launched the Spotify Partner Program, a powerful new m...
14/02/2025
From an island off the coast of Lutruwita to the global stage in France SBS & ...
14/02/2025
The future of electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) land systems is evolving so that ...
14/02/2025
Here are 5 reasons why you should attend ISE 2025
Discover more about Calrec: Learn more about Calrec's legacy of innovation in broadcast audio solutions ...
14/02/2025
World Radio Day: On the same wavelength
By Graham Murray, International Sales Manager at Calrec
To mark World Radio Day, Calrec's International Sales Ma...
14/02/2025
DALLAS and TYSONS, Va. Tegna has concluded a broadcast rights agreement that makes Tegna's KFAA in Dallas the exclusive local television partner of the Dall...
14/02/2025
Amazon's Prime Video has released a new app for Apple TV that the streamer said delivers an improved streaming experiences with faster scrolling, improved s...
14/02/2025
CLEVELAND Telos Alliance announced a software update for its Axia Quasar XR and SR line of audio-over-IP (AoIP) mixing consoles and will show the offering at th...
14/02/2025
Puget Systems Returns to HPA Tech Retreat 2025 with New Analysis Tools for Puge...
14/02/2025
Glass Animals: Tour of Earth Uses Blackmagic Live Production Workflow
Brie Clayton February 14, 2025
0 Comments
80six deploys Blackmagic URSA Broadcas...
14/02/2025
A dispute between Paramount and Youtube TV that would have pulled CBS stations and Paramount's cable channels from the streaming service has been temporaril...
14/02/2025
Colourist Deidre (Dee) McClelland details how she helped shape the distinct look and feel of whimsical Oscar-nominated stop-motion film, Memoir of a Snail
By C...
14/02/2025
BitFire said it intends to introduce forward-looking services that simplify the launch of live production workflows, and enhance real-time collaboration
By Jen...
14/02/2025
The claim by the liquidators is the latest twist in the ongoing saga of the companys collapse at the end of 2021
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: February 14, ...
14/02/2025
A carriage dispute between YouTube TV and Paramount could come to a head today (Feb. 13), with the virtual pay TV provider threatening to pull all of the progra...
14/02/2025
ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. LG Electronics USA has opened a new in-house, state-of-the-art virtual production studio at its 360,000-square-foot North American headqu...
14/02/2025
NEW YORK In a bid to help local broadcasters find new ways of monetizing their content, the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) and TVB have relea...
14/02/2025
WASHINGTON Three Democratic U.S. Senators have sent a stern letter blasting FCC Chair Brendan Carr for the weaponization of the agency for attacking broadcast...
14/02/2025
Years after launching the streaming service Apple TV+ in November of 2019, Apple has finally released a version of its steaming app for Android devices....
14/02/2025
FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif. Red Digital Cinema will make its V-RAPTOR [X] and KOMODO-X camera systems available with Nikon's premier Z Mount, providing filmmaker...
14/02/2025
DAYTONA, Fla. The Fox Sports production of this year's Daytona 500 will see the addition of a few new tech elements and the continued unfolding of the broad...
14/02/2025
Watch Bryson Battles Blind Audition on The Voice Get a Four-Chair Turn Michael Bubl said the Boston Conservatory at Berklee musical theater senior might have...
14/02/2025
2025 Daytona 500: FOX Sports Looks To Ride Super Bowl LIX Momentum Into NASCAR S...
14/02/2025
14 Feb 2025
VEON's Kyivstar and the Come Back Alive Foundation Raise USD 2....
14/02/2025
Max Renews THE PITT, Starring Noah Wyle, For A Second Season
Max
Warner Bros. Television Group
The Pitt
New Episodes Of The Medical Drama From John...
14/02/2025
This year, Technicolor proudly celebrates 110 years of shaping the magic of cinema pioneering color, visual effects, and innovation that bring unforgettable l...
14/02/2025
NBA All-Star: More Games, More Teams, More Music, More Sound From the Court Turner Sports' team will deploy familiar tech to capture all the audio By Dan D...
14/02/2025
LIV Golf Continues To Innovate With Drones, Data-Driven Graphics, and All-Access...
For the fourth consecutive year, two games of the Major League Baseball Playoffs will air on the league's year-round home: MLB Network. And MLB Network is pulling out all the stops - high-speed cameras, a wealth of production tools, enhanced audio - to deliver every crack of the bat, slide into first, and umpire call.
