
MLB Local Media Hits Its Stride in Year 2 With Diamondbacks, Padres, Rockies Broadcasts Tech highlights include WireCam, Ump Cam, RF gimbal system, and STATS Insights graphics By Jason Dachman, Editorial Director, U.S.
Tuesday, April 2, 2024 - 3:13 pm
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
After taking over San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks broadcasts on the fly in the middle of last season, MLB will also be producing and distributing Colorado Rockies games this season. With last season under its belt, the league's Local Media team is looking to level-up broadcasts for all three teams with a full arsenal of production tools and technological innovations.
The key to the 2024 season has been the ability to plan, says Doug Johnson, SVP/executive producer, local media, MLB. Last year was more about getting our feet under us and ensuring these games were on the air and at a high production level. Now, with a full offseason to prepare, we were able to add things and make changes to the productions where appropriate. [We're] also continuing to build great relationships with the clubs as a partner in all of these broadcasts.
At Colorado Rockies front bench in Arizona for opening series: Producer Alison Vigil (left) and Director Erica Ferrero
Tech Touches: WireCam, Ump Cam, RF Gimbal System DEFY Wire Cam at Chase Field
MLB Local Media has partnered with DEFY Products to add a WireCam system to Petco Park in San Diego, Chase Field in Phoenix, and Coors Field in Denver. At Chase Field and Coors Field, the system runs up and down the third-base line; at Petco, it starts on the first-base line.
We experimented with the WireCam last year and quickly realized what a game-changer it was for our shows, says Johnson. With its versatility, it was like adding five cameras to the show.
MLB Local Media is also working closely with MLB SVP, Broadcasting, Ryan Zander and the broadcasting department to implement Ump Cam in some broadcasts. The Ump Cam made its local-broadcast debut last year with the Diamondbacks, and Johnson hopes to increase its deployment across all three teams' games this year.
It was a huge success, and fans loved it, he says. We are always striving to show the speed and movement of these amazing pitchers, and this look shows you both. The other thing I like is, it replicates the view most kids are used to when they play MLB videogames.
Closeup of WireCam at Chase Field
For home games, all three teams' productions will deploy an enhanced version of the wireless RF DJI Ronin gimbal camera system that debuted last season on Diamondbacks and Padres broadcasts.
We believe this package gives us the same great on-air look as last season with a more intuitive and flexible operating system, says Kendall Burgess, VP, operations, MLB Local Media. Based on the lessons we learned last year and with the engineering guidance of MTVG, we have upgraded several of our camera systems this season.
Working with facilities provider Mobile TV Group and NEP's Fletcher Sports division, Burgess and her team have also upgraded several home-park robotic and PTZ cameras for this season.
All About Access: In-Game Interviews Bring Fans Closer to the Action Like many national and regional broadcasters these days, MLB Local Media is making a concerted effort to work with all three clubs to enhance player access during the game broadcast.
Down-the-wire look of DEFY WireCam at Chase Field
MLB Local Media is working with MTVG to deploy a customized player-mic and IFB package this season. The highlight of the gear is a Q5X PlayerMic that debuted during Spring Training games and will be incorporated throughout the season for all three teams.
Fans crave these kinds of production elements, says Johnson. With increased access, you give more exposure to these great athletes through the biggest megaphone, which is the game broadcast.
For example, Johnson and company are working with the clubs to arrange in-game interviews with the starting pitcher after a good start. It just makes way more sense, he says, to celebrate that start with the pitcher during the highly rated game broadcast versus making fans wait for a postgame show to hear from him. All three of our clubs have been great to work with, and I am looking forward to seeing what we can accomplish this year.
Going Deeper With Data: STAT Insights' and Hot Corner' Graphics; Plus Umps in the Booth Besides its stats provider Sportradar, MLB has partnered with Stats Perform on its STATS Insights platform. All three clubs will have a dedicated Stats Perform statistician on a Slack channel providing deeper statistical insights to the announce booth and the truck. Instead of depending on stats provided before the game, says Johnson, we are able to expound on in-game storylines as they happen in real time.
All three teams' broadcasts also feature new specialty graphics leveraging the STATS Insights platform dubbed the Hot Corner. The graphic, which runs directly off the overall Vizrt graphics systems, slides onto the screen with a chime sound and displays deep statistics and information during the live broadcast. The direction for the Hot Corner is, it is only high-end stats and interesting information when it goes in, says Johnson. When viewers hear that chime, there is a real payoff.
To further provide deeper insights to viewers, Padres broadcasts will offer a new twist with the addition of former MLB Umpire Mike Winters as a rules expert in the booth on selected games. With all the new and exciting changes to the game, says Johnson, it will be great to get an umpire's perspective/analysis live on the air. Based on how this goes, we will look to implement this in all our regions.
New Year, New Look: MLB Network, Local Production Teams Pitch In The overall on-air l
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
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
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
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...
07/04/2026
Eluvio has unveiled a new architecture for video AI and an updated Eluvio Video Intelligence Editor (EVIE) ahead of NAB Show 2026. Eluvio AI runs analysis and i...
07/04/2026
The Professional Fighters League (PFL) has announced a deal with Sky New Zealand...
07/04/2026
The NBA and Enjoy Basketball, the digital media company co-founded by YouTube cr...
07/04/2026
The 4,000-sq.-ft. space in Frisco, TX, has produced live and packaged programmin...
07/04/2026
What began as a referee training tool is evolving into a powerful production ass...
07/04/2026
Manifold Technologies will announce at NAB Show 2026 (Booth C.1808) that its manifold CLOUD platform will be available as a deployable application within NEP Pl...
07/04/2026
Shaquille O'Neal, Authentic Brands Group, and TNT Sports, in partnership wit...
07/04/2026
Telos Alliance will debut the Omnia XII, a new FM/HD/DAB audio processor, at NAB Show 2026 in Las Vegas.
Built on a 2RU hardware platform, Omnia XII features a...
07/04/2026
Amazon Web Services (AWS) will exhibit at NAB Show 2026 (April 18-22, Las Vegas Convention Center, Booth W1701), with demonstrations, speaking sessions, and int...
07/04/2026
Synamedia will demonstrate AI by Quortex at NAB Show 2026, a framework that applies AI capabilities to video workflows on demand rather than continuously. The s...
07/04/2026
TVNewsCheck will present its 15th annual Women in Technology Awards on Tuesday, April 21, at 5 p.m. PT at NAB Show, in the Media and Entertainment Theater (W146...
07/04/2026
Akta will demonstrate its AI video platform at NAB Show 2026, highlighting new capabilities in media processing and vertical video formatting alongside its exis...
07/04/2026
ESPN and Disney have announced the launch of ESPN on Disney in Europe and select Asia-Pacific markets, bringing the offering to 53 countries and territories a...
07/04/2026
LOS ANGELES, CA, April 7, 2026 - The nonprofit Sundance Institute announced today the fellows selected for the 2026 Native Lab, the signature initiative of the ...
07/04/2026
Starting today, Prompted Playlist is expanding beyond music to now include podca...
07/04/2026
Launched alongside piano promotion
The latest instalment in VSL's Synchron Series line-up captures the sound of a faithful copy of a Fran ois tienne Bl...
07/04/2026
Flagship sampling pad gets an update
Roland's flagship sampling pad has just received a major update that kits it out with an array of new features and ...
07/04/2026
Popular compact wireless system upgraded
Sound Devices have recently introduced a new and improved version of their compact wireless transmitter bodypacks, ...
07/04/2026
The November 2025 YEP Newsletter highlights a recent YEP Coffee Chat, offering members the chance to connect with industry professionals in an informal setting ...
07/04/2026
The December 2025 YEP Newsletter includes a Spotlight on Emily Vail, showcasing her career journey and work in the industry, alongside Mentorship Reflections by...
07/04/2026
Ground-Based Electro-Optical Deep Space Surveillance (GEODSS) telescope operated...
07/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/04/2026
Catgut Sound Owner and Production Sound Mixer Chris Welcker, CAS, has built a career at the intersection of music and film. A former musician and composer, Welc...
07/04/2026
SDVI Corporation today announced the next generation of its Rally media supply chain management platform, introducing a redesigned orchestration engine that rep...
07/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/04/2026
Frequency, the engine behind many of the world's leading streaming television channels, at NAB 2026 will be launching new Studio services to help content ow...
07/04/2026
Ikegami USA has chosen NAB 2026 in Las Vegas as the launch platform for new additions to its range of broadcast-quality television production equipment. These w...
07/04/2026
April 19, 2026, Las Vegas Kiloview, an innovative provider of AV-over-IP technologies, will showcase its latest broadcast IP solutions at NAB 2026, presenting...
07/04/2026
Bitmovin has announced support for Server-Guided Ad Insertion (SGAI) across its playback products using HLS interstitials, enabling more advanced ad-supported s...
07/04/2026
Synamedia is unveiling AI by Quortex at The NAB show, a just-in-time AI plugin framework that applies intelligence only when needed across video processing, dis...
07/04/2026
Cuez will showcase four additions to its cloud-based newsroom, rundown and automation platform at NAB Show 2026 (April 18 22, Las Vegas, Booth N1867):
Cuez ...