
Live From MLB All-Star 2024: ESPN Adjusts Storytelling Approach To Meet New Rules at Home Run Derby ESPN's Phil Orlins: We thought the rules changes were absolutely necessary' By Brandon Costa, Director of Digital
Monday, July 15, 2024 - 2:42 pm
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
ESPN's midsummer tradition of broadcasting the Major League Baseball Home Run Derby (8 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN2) has a unique challenge this year: telling the story of an event that is introducing a new format and scoring system.
Over the past few years, the pacing has grown so fast that, for many viewers, the event became difficult to follow. Multiple home-run balls in the air and the inability to truly appreciate each long ball led ESPN and the league to test out a new approach.
The 2024 MLB Home Run Derby takes place at Globe Life Field in Arlington, TX.
For a brief primer on the format changes for this year's Home Run Derby, let's start at the top. In the first round, instead of the previous head-to-head bracket format, the four players with the most home runs will advance to the semifinals, where the top four will be seeded head-to-head knockout-style. The final round will consist of just 27 pitches.
MLB and ESPN collaborated on the rule changes to reduce the event's frantic nature of the past few years and to help make the action easier to follow on TV. Batters will be limited to three minutes and a maximum of 40 pitches in the first two rounds, which will move things along and keep multiple home-run balls from landing simultaneously, which led to the confusion for viewers.
We thought the rules changes were absolutely necessary, says ESPN VP, Production, Phil Orlins. It's still really fast. I mean, 40 pitches in three minutes is fast, but it's not out of control. I think we'll be able to talk about it and document each home run, each pitch, each swing. It still requires a split screen to be able to do that, and there's still going to be two balls in the air, but it had gotten so fast that there were not only two balls in the air but two balls landing at the same time. Which, even in the two-box [format], is tough to follow. It's hard to shoot the batter and shoot another box for the ball landing and have two balls landing in different places at the same time.
Karl Ravech returns as the voice of the Derby with analysts Eduardo P rez and Todd Frazier. Frazier, the 2015 Home Run Derby Champion, has called Little League World Series games for ESPN and debuts as Home Run Derby analyst.
On the production side are a few changes to the on-screen graphical presentation and a repositioning of some cameras inside Globe Life Field. ESPN is bringing 4DREPLAY technology to this year's Derby, positioning the multicamera system directly behind home plate, only 16 ft. or so from the batter. It's the closest ESPN has ever been able to get to the plate in a baseball scenario. The half-moon-shaped 4DREPLAY camera ring features 16 cameras.
It has had good successes for us, but it has its best successes when it works in close proximity, says Orlins, noting successful implementations of the tech on UFC fights and at the Little League World Series. In the latter, ESPN was able to position the cameras in the front row behind home plate, about 30 ft. from home. Being about to get even closer here for the Home Run Derby is an exciting prospect: That's just game-changing - getting down there, spinning, and getting great shots.
Here's a 4DREPLAY clip from the MLB Korea Series at the start of this baseball season:
--
Other speciality cameras are deployed as well. The two-point cabled DEFY DactylCam is installed at Globe Life Field. ESPN's internal drone group is here but able to fly only outside the roofed stadium.
In addition, Orlins notes, the production team is moving the manned high-home positions higher in the ballpark and adding some down-the-line shots to better diversify the images that producer Scott Matthews and director Doug Holmes can take.
It's a challenge to follow the ball [in the Home Run Derby], says Orlins. We've gone with two or three high-homes side-by-side this year. We decided to go with equally high positions down-the-line to make the cuts from one [ball in the air] to the other - that happens fairly quickly - not look as jarring. Having down-the-line is a little change so the shots don't look so identical.
Here awaiting implementation at the 2024 MLB Home Run Deby, the 16-camera 4DREPLAY system will be deployed behind home plate.
It's clearly a year of thoughtful experimentation and tinkering for the operations team: Remote Operations Manager Paul Horrell, Remote Operations Specialist Kevin Cleary, and Project Manager Carla Ackels. Additionally, Director of Production Jim Thomas plays a key role in the show.
Returning this year to the broadcaster's Home Run Derby coverage is the Statcast edition airing on ESPN2 alongside the traditional broadcast. It features more graphics and a stats-heavy presentation with hosts Kevin Brown, Jessica Mendoza, and Mike Petriello. The Statcast alternative broadcast is overseen by producer Andy Jacobson and director Mike Griffin. ESPN's Will Gairing, Joe Durante, and Tyler Churchill play key roles in data integration on both broadcasts. Meanwhile, Major League Baseball is also heavily involved in the alternative feed, with assistance from MLB SVP, Broadcasting, Ryan Zander; VP, Technical Operations and Broadcasting, Mark Ellinson; Senior Technical Manager Kyle Burke; and Product Manager Simon Chattington.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
08/04/2026
The deadline to enter the 18th Annual SVG College Sports Media Awards in association with NACDA is rapidly approaching! Submit your entries to this year's c...
08/04/2026
The Pittsburgh product helps lead more than 100 annual ESPN broadcasts as part o...
08/04/2026
Dynamic ad insertion, AI-based technologies, programmatic advertising are some o...
08/04/2026
Seven Fellows Selected for Second Year of Residency in Honor of Social Justice L...
08/04/2026
On March 7, Bad Bunny made history with his first-ever performance in Asia, taki...
08/04/2026
El 7 de marzo, Bad Bunny hizo historia con su primera presentaci n en Asia, subi...
08/04/2026
New channel strip plug-in revealed
The latest plug-in to be added to the Fuse Audio Labs line-up emulates a selection of vintage hardware units, combining c...
08/04/2026
Guitar & bass multi-effects software overhauled
Blue Cat Audio's flagship guitar and bass multi-effects software has recently received a significant upd...
08/04/2026
PanNoir mixer integration, Dolby Atmos Renderer & more
Merging Technologies have just launched Pyramix 16, the latest major update to their renowned DAW sof...
08/04/2026
Applicable Products Part number Description
QUARTZ-22-LTE (EU) Dual Port Dual SIM LTE Router (EU)
QUARTZ-COMPACT-11-LTE (EU) Single Port Compact LTE ...
08/04/2026
The September 19, 2025 YEP Newsletter highlights a group visit to the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, where participants explored exhibits showcasing the art...
08/04/2026
The L3Harris HBTSS satellite is proven on orbit, successfully demonstrating trac...
08/04/2026
Image Credit: NASA. Artist rendering of a space communications satellite in orbit, representative of the resilient, multiband infrastructure supporting mission ...
08/04/2026
Latest evaluation validates image quality, Inertial Navigation System performance and long-range tracking in operational flight conditions....
08/04/2026
New Gracenote study finds behavioral change well underway, but trust in AI-gener...
08/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/04/2026
Integration eliminates ingest bottlenecks by ensuring content is immediately usable across cloud and hybrid editorial workflows. See it at NAB 2026.
Nevada Cit...
08/04/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the commercial availability of Dalia, its media-aware, agentic AI...
08/04/2026
Leading video software provider Synamedia today announced Senza Ignite, a cloud-based platform that transforms existing connected devices through a single firmw...
08/04/2026
Modernised architecture increases operational control and agility, while reducing cost and simplifying nationwide media transport across affiliates and news bur...
08/04/2026
Company to Feature DMX Dual Relay, High-Density 48-Channel Relay Panels, and New Private Label Power Program
LynTec, a leading manufacturer of innovative ele...
08/04/2026
Broadcasting Center Europe (BCE), a European media technology and services partner, today announces a technology partnership with BCNEXXT, a Netherlands-based c...
08/04/2026
Encompass Digital Media today announced the expansion of its Master Control Room (MCR) facility in Riga, Latvia, establishing it as one of the most advanced and...
08/04/2026
Leading video solutions provider Synamedia is back at The 2026 NAB Show with innovations that connect tomorrows audiences today. On display will be a range of t...
08/04/2026
COW Jobs: Director Needed for WWII Indie Docudrama
Brie Clayton April 8, 2026
0 Comments
Director Needed for WWII Indie Docudrama
March 17, 2026COW ...
08/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/04/2026
Marshall Electronics introduces its latest POV camera with the new CV376 Compact NDI |HX3 HDMI POV Camera at NAB 2026 (Booth C8339). Designed for versatile 4K c...
08/04/2026
Zixi, a leader in live video delivery and workflow orchestration, enables interoperable live video workflows across multi-vendor environments, helping broadcast...
08/04/2026
All episodes available on Thursday 30 April on Sky Atlantic and NOWWednesday 8 A...
08/04/2026
Back to All News
Agent from Above' Celebrates Divine Ascent to Global Rank...
08/04/2026
Back to All News
Official Poster Revealed for My Two Cents, the New Animated Se...
08/04/2026
ICG is gearing up for a busy day on 14th May in Manchester.
First up, we'll be joining the Northern Marketing Festival as one of the event's marketing ...
08/04/2026
The Teatro Col n in Buenos Aires is not a venue that tolerates compromise. Built in 1908 and routinely ranked among the worlds finest concert halls, it has an a...
08/04/2026
Young Forever: The Death of Ageing? airs Monday 13 April and 20 April on RT One and RT Player
Around the world, the race to beat ageing is on. From cutting ...
08/04/2026
Scripps Research scientists uncover new mechanism cancer cells use to survive DNA damage Discovery reshapes understanding of how tumor cells repair broken DNA, ...
07/04/2026
Ikegami USA will launch a refinement to the UHK-X700 and UHK-X750 3-CMOS -in. UHD cameras in the UNICAM XE series plus two new 7-in. viewfinders at NAB 2026 in...
07/04/2026
The NAB Leadership Foundation and NAB PILOT will host a career mixer for technology students at NAB Show 2026 on April 18, 5-6:30 p.m., North Hall, Room N225/22...
07/04/2026
Audinate Group Limited and Futuresource Consulting have published results from a...
07/04/2026
Eluvio has announced the commercial availability of its Content Fabric Bucharest...