The broadcaster's capability as an internal production house continues with studio programming for U.S. viewers
The MLB Postseason comes with an attraction that can be felt around the globe. This is spurred in part by viewership of fans in India and the UK, thanks to world-feed-style productions by MLB Network. After a regular season of constant coverage and a handful of games in the Wild Card Round, the broadcaster will execute more international broadcasts during the Division Series on MLB Bases Covered Live on the BBC via a traditional control room and the MLB Postseason on JioStar via a cloud-based production through BitFire.
During the last half of the season, says Michael Herbert, VP, studio operations, MLB Network, we've produced different productions of the same game on both networks every Sunday, but now that we're in the postseason, the workflow has become a little different. From production and studio operations to our full engineering team, these productions are a true collaboration across the company.
Bridging the Broadcast: Secaucus-Based Team Accepts the Challenge
The team based at MLB Network's headquarters in Secaucus, NJ, was more than up to the task of producing the postseason broadcasts. Spearheaded by MLB Network VP, Live Events and Production, Chris Pfeiffer, the final two months of the regular season set the foundation for what is now being implemented in the playoffs to link these international viewers with the National Pastime. In the regular season, the cloud-based production known as MLB Bases Covered Live was the basis of both shows, with JioStar receiving a dirty feed with graphics of the production being used on the BBC.
Now it kind of switches, says Pfeiffer. [JioStar] will be taking a feed and implementing their own graphics and content. We'll also be using the same group of talent that we used last year from the Wild Card to the World Series.
MLB Network's Secaucus, NJ-based team: (from left) Jeff Stote, Steve Mellace, Mike Magaletta, Jason Naccarella, Dawnlynn Kulenich, Patrick Armstrong, Jacob Wilkins, Sam Gutkin, Jacob Catalano, and Mike SianoThis crop of talent includes two separate teams for the international broadcasters. On JioStar, play-by-play announcer Jacob Wilkins - a versatile voice who previously worked for the Binghamton Rumble Ponies and other outlets - is calling games remotely from New Jersey with additional commentary by analysts Manish Batavia and Aayush Sharma in India. For the BBC, play-by-play announcer Melanie Newman and analysts Xavier Scruggs and Felix White (a prominent voice in the UK professional-baseball community) are calling games from Secaucus. Back-to-back postseasons of remote productions has created a well-oiled machine both behind and in front of the camera, and the two talent teams have established a good rapport to create an impressive broadcast.
They've developed a really good chemistry, adds Pfeiffer. It has been fun to watch.
In the Cloud: BitFire's Cloud Infrastructure Enables the Endeavor
The nuts and bolts of the productions will leverage BitFire's cloud-based infrastructure, which MLB Network has relied on for not only this style of shows but other events throughout the year. From offsite video feeds during the MLB Draft to overseas broadcasts during the World Baseball Classic, a full cloud-driven control room in Secaucus is allowing the team to pull off the productions.
Logistically, most days comprise multiple productions running simultaneously, which calls for numerous crews taking different shifts during long hours of baseball action. Customization and flexibility were paramount to making these crews feel comfortable in a virtual environment.
The software-defined production environment of the cloud is perfect for this type of show, explains Steve Mellace, lead technical director, MLB Network, who is building the production templates for both shows. It's all about scaling what we're already doing to a wider audience, reusing that same content, and adding customization for wherever we're sending it to. It's mostly about training the next operator in the same way as the current operator and cloning that setup into the next production.
We do have to be more organized, he continues, since we're working in a virtual cloud environment. We have to be aware of what our expectations are and be ready to go before we go on-air.
Organization is necessary in all facets of the show. For example, replay needs fluctuate from regular-season games to the beginning of the postseason to the biggest games of the year in the World Series. This has pushed Mellace and his team to construct virtual-production libraries that allow repeatability but also provide time to build on top of pre-existing workflows depending on a show's demands. For the postseason alone, the 2026 edition of the playoffs isn't the first time MLB Network has handled such productions. Many of the first iterations experienced bumps in the road since it was still very early in the process, but, since then, the team has gained its footing and is hitting its stride.
We've been working on this for about three years now, notes Dawnlynn Kulenich, manager, studio technical operations, MLB Network,who keeps an eye on the cloud production during live broadcasts. What we're most excited about this year is that we're no longer at proof-of-concept to see if the cloud productions work. We want to expand the capabilities and tailor [the show] to specific audiences and languages around the world to make the game more accessible for fans.
Kulenich is supported by Manager, Studio Technical Operations, Tony Giner. On the commentary side, especially for the broadcasts on JioStar, linking Wilkins to his counterparts in India is a challenge. Latency is the prime challenge
Europe Stories
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
09/10/2026
September 10 2026, 06:00 (PDT) Dolby Expands Dolby OptiView Platform with New Capabilities at IBC 2026
New Sports Intelligence helps providers better unders...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
05/10/2026
New multi-pattern LDC revealed
Austrian Audio have announced the upcoming launch of a new multi-pattern large-diaphragm capacitor mic that occupies the midd...
05/10/2026
Software gains Tonex Board rig support
When IK Multimedia launched the Tonex Board, they mentioned that it would soon be followed by a significant update to...
05/10/2026
Offers a modern take on classic chorus effects
fedDSP's latest creation has been designed to offer a modern take on the classic chorus effect, combining...
05/10/2026
RT will provide comprehensive coverage and analysis of Budget 2027 across online, radio and television on Tuesday 6 October, with extensive reporting and analy...
04/10/2026
Dedicated streaming mic gets an overhaul
Following on from the success of their dedicated streaming microphone, the MV6, Shure have announced the launch of ...
02/10/2026
v1.9.3 introduces AUv3 support
Roland have just released an update that kits their free iPad-based software synth out with AUv3 support, meaning it can now ...
02/10/2026
Dolby Atmos support, AI-powered stem separation & more
The latest version of MOTU's DAW software is now available, and marks a major step forward with t...
02/10/2026
Portable DAC created in collaboration with Steve Levine
British hi-fi experts iFi audio have unveiled a new Master Tuned variant of their praised iDSD GR2 p...
02/10/2026
In our latest blog, Tim Pearson looks at streaming piracy from a different lens, focusing on digital trust, consumer risk, and the future of subscriber protecti...
02/10/2026
Featuring performances recorded in Cork, Kilkenny, Wesmeath and Dublin culminati...
02/10/2026
Friday 2 October 2026
Crystal Lake, a Friday the 13th' prequel series, com...
02/10/2026
Friday 2 October 2026
Sky VIP helps families celebrate the Christmas season wit...
02/10/2026
How the fertility sector in Ireland remains unregulated
Undercover filming reveals how without proper regulation the promotion of controversial fertility treat...
02/10/2026
Transforming Homes, Transforming Lives
Presenter Baz Ashmawy and his team take on four life-changing builds across Kildare, Limerick, Wicklow and Offaly in the...
01/10/2026
Third collaboration with celebrated composer
Spitfire Audio have once again teamed up with Grammy-nominated composer, producer and technologist BT, creating...
01/10/2026
FL Studio gets dedicated grid controller
Novation have teamed up with FL Studio developers Image-Line to create another dedicated controller for the popular...
01/10/2026
Six new USB interfaces introduced
Universal Audio's USB audio interface line-up has just been refreshed, gaining six new models aimed at musicians, prod...
01/10/2026
Siretta's SNYPER-5G cellular network analyser has been shortlisted for the IoT Global Awards 2026.
The IoT Global Awards recognise products, services and o...
01/10/2026
Mesh Broadcast Services Fits Big-Truck Audio Power into Compact Eclipse Unit with Calrec Argo M Canadian OB company Mesh Broadcast Services has fitted its Eclip...
01/10/2026
X-Rite Pantone Launches Spectura to Advance Connected Color Quality from Lab to ...
01/10/2026
Thursday 1 October 2026
Nominees revealed for 2026 Sky Arts Awards
Current slide, 0 0, undefined1
0
Irish National Opera and Jennifer Walshe: MARS
Jacob Al...
01/10/2026
Vital TV antenna replaced at SudburyHelicopter and broadcast engineers work together to upgrade TV services for 1.5M in the East
--
Share to Linkedin
Octobe...
01/10/2026
Arqiva appoints Simon Duffy as ChairSimon Duffy joins as Chair effective 01 October 2026
--
Share to Linkedin
October 1, 2026
Press Office
01 October 2026...
01/10/2026
Season 4 of the multi-award-winning hit entertainment series The 2 Johnnies Late Night Lock In is back, serving up another round of unpredictable laughs, unforg...
01/10/2026
New season begins Sunday, 4 October at 6pm on RT lyric fm and RT Listen
RT lyric fm's arts and culture documentary series The Lyric Feature returns on S...
01/10/2026
RT is proud to continue its commitment to supporting and celebrating the arts across Ireland this October, highlighting a vibrant programme of theatre, music, ...
30/09/2026
Add an envelope generator to any plug-in
Sync Audio's latest creation is a handy utility plug-in that can be used to combine and modulate other effects ...
30/09/2026
All-analogue tape-style drive joins Series A
Strymon's reputation was built on their digital knowhow, so many were surprised (and intrigued) when they a...
30/09/2026
Two new expansion packs released
Sonuscore have just introduced two new expansion packs for The Pulse, its production engine instrument for modern cinematic...
30/09/2026
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({...
30/09/2026
New Solution Expands Harmonic's Network Intelligence Portfolio and Brings Comcast-Developed Fiber Monitoring Technology to Broadband Operators, Providing Re...
30/09/2026
How to Shop Well Now starts Monday at 9.35pm
on RT One and RT Player
On the...
29/09/2026
Two new plug-ins launch alongside updated bundles
Zynaptiq have just announced the launch of two new plug-ins, alongside new and improved versions of two of...
29/09/2026
All-in-one bus processor revealed
Wes Audio's ng product range has come a long way since it was first introduced, and now includes a tasty selection of ...
29/09/2026
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
29/09/2026
CMA Imaging, Sun Chemical, and X-Rite Pantone Help Brands Accelerate Metal Packa...
29/09/2026
NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN OR INTO OR TO ANY PERSON LOCATED OR RESIDENT IN, OR AT ANY ADDRESS IN, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ITS TERRITO...
29/09/2026
We tend to think we live in a digital world, with hopes and fears around artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, data centres and the next big technolo...
29/09/2026
Today, in partnership with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Apple relea...
29/09/2026
Final Cut Camera, the professional filming app for iPhone, receives a major upda...
29/09/2026
RT lyric fm is proud to announce the annual Choirs for Christmas competition callout. Warm up those vocal chords and join us on RT lyric fm for a celebration ...
28/09/2026
EQ plug-in can now be played via MIDI
Scaler Music have recently released a new and improved version of their patented musical EQ plug-in, kitting it out wi...
28/09/2026
New synth developed in collaboration with philterSoup
Boutique effects pedal and Eurorack manufacturer Animal Factory Amps have announced that the new compa...
28/09/2026
Rohde & Schwarz adds an integrated multi-channel pulse analysis option to its FS...
28/09/2026
Monday 28 September 2026
Sky launches Full Fibre 1.6 Gbps for millions of homes
Sky has launched a new Full Fibre 1.6 Gbps product, rolling out from today, gi...
28/09/2026
Arvato Systems Highlights It's Role for Automotive Manufacturers and Suppliers
TISAX
Arvato Systems has successfully completed the TISAX Level 3 assess...
The broadcaster's capability as an internal production house continues with studio programming for U.S. viewers
