MLB 2023: MLB Network Builds Off World Baseball Classic Success With New 26-Game Showcase Schedule

MLB 2023: MLB Network Builds Off World Baseball Classic Success With New 26-Game Showcase Schedule The broadcaster is also handling its second season of Friday Night Baseball on Apple TV+ By Kristian Hern ndez, Senior Editor

Monday, April 10, 2023 - 12:00 pm

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After spanning the globe for world-feed productions of the 2023 World Baseball Classic, MLB Network is back on the road again for its 26-game Casamigos Tequila MLB Network Showcase slate. Coming off of an exhilarating 2023 World Baseball Classic, the broadcaster is excited to head into these productions with new elements like a refreshed graphics package and onsite studio talent and their steadfast, hard-working live events team.

We have a veteran crew that's working all 26 games this year, says Tom Guidice, VP, remote operations, MLB Network. Having that crew really helps us out with everything else that we're doing our Showcase schedule.

New and Improved: Showcase Unveils New Graphics, Umpire Analysis for Close Calls From a production perspective, the crew is rolling out two new enhancements. First, the overall look and feel of the property received a facelift with a brand-new graphics package. First seen on Opening Day, the graphics package incorporates iconography like baseball bats and bases and blends them with new themes like stitching and reflective metal.

It took almost a year of work to come up and developing this design, says Chris Pfeiffer, VP, live events, MLB Network. It looks really sharp, and I think everybody's really proud about it turned out.

MLB Network Showcase received a new graphics package for 2023.

In what began during the inaugural season of Friday Night Baseball last year, viewers watching MLB Network Showcase will hear from former umpires during the live telecast. In an effort to better explain the decision making of the on-field umpiring crew, these rules analysts will break down what goes into overturning a call or what umpires look for with border line pitches. Some of these retired officials will be Brian Gorman, Dale Scott, and Ted Barrett.

They'll be used during a replay review, but also during a game last year at Fenway Park, someone like Brian talked about why going over ground rules with the managers always takes 20 minutes longer at that ballpark than anywhere else, continues Pfeiffer. On Opening Day, Brian was also able to discuss how umpires are dealing with the new MLB rules.

Finding a New Rhythm: Crew Adapts to MLB's New Pitch Clock Like all television partners of Major League Baseball, the biggest learning curve in 2023 is figuring out the nuances of the new pitch clock system. With only 15 seconds in between pitches with the bases empty and 20 seconds with men on base, the window to show replays, scenics shot, and full-screen statistical graphics has become smaller. When you add producing all 47 games of the World Baseball Classic, who didn't utilize the current MLB pace-of-play rules, into play, re-organizing and adopting a new run of show took a couple of games to get used to.

Iconography like baseball bats have been incorporated into these graphics.

A lot of those [WBC] games, especially in Japan and Taiwan, were close to four hours, but for Phillies vs. Yankees on April 3, it was only two hours and 38 minutes, adds Pfeiffer. We talk about finding that sweet spot for replay sequences or a breakdown, but you have to wait until a foul ball or after a batter. Since games are moving a lot faster, you have to feel prepare elements that are tight and concise, feel out the pace of the game, and pick your spots.

One area of the broadcast that is experiencing the most constraints is the integration of sponsorship and sales. During previous seasons, these elements could be highlighted at the return of commercial break or during downtime in between pitches. With these moments being eliminated from the game, the challenge is now implementing the same number of obligations in a shorter broadcast.

When you lose those 30 to 45 minutes, sales elements become really important to how we go about our business, says Pfeiffer. Our job is getting back from break faster to take care of our billboards, because once the train leaves the station, we don't have time to go back and get those elements into the broadcast. It's different, but I think we're all starting to settle in and understand what's there.

MLB Network's logo also includes white baseball gloves.

Although these changes could have presented a myriad of obstacles, MLB Network Showcase has gotten off to a hot start. Anchored by 348,000 viewers who tuned into the out-of-market telecast of the San Francisco Giants vs. New York Yankees at 1:05 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 30, the network experienced the most-watched Opening Day in their 14-year history. For added context, Giants-Yankees was +7% vs. the comparable time-period telecast in 2022 (326,000 viewers for Brewers vs. Cubs) and the best daytime Showcase game on MLB Network since 2012.

Harold Hits the Road: MLB Tonight Features Onsite Presence at Each Showcase Stadium While the Showcase game is the central piece of that day's schedule, a host of studio shows will surround these live broadcasts with wall-to-wall coverage. Three important shows - MLB Central with Robert Flores, Mark DeRosa, and Lauren Shehadi; High Heat with Christopher Russo and Alanna Rizzo; and MLB Now with Brian Kenny, Bob Costas, Mark Feinsand, Jon Heyman, Hannah Keyser, Sarah Langs, Dan O'Dowd, Steve Phillips, Joel Sherman, and Jayson Stark - start the day from 9 a.m. ET to 12 p.m. ET. In the middle of the day, Off Base with Lauren Gardner, Ariel Epstein, and Xavier Scruggs and Intentional Talk with Kevin Millar and newbies Ryan Dempster and Siera Santos take over at 4 p.m. ET and 5 p.m. ET. As

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