Opening Day is nigh, and ESPN is set to throw the first pitch on the 2016 MLB season like never before, providing a record seven live game telecasts in two days. April 3 and 4 will feature the Opening Day games for all 10 2015 MLB Postseason teams, with a Sunday tripleheader culminating in a primetime World Series rematch between the Kansas City Royals and New York Mets.
Our responsibility is to create a sense that Sunday is now a standalone day for baseball, says ESPN Coordinating Producer Phil Orlins. Monday openers have always been and will continue to be great, but [on Sunday] you have every team playing and then the NCAA National Championship at night, so we have a chance to own Sunday with no other games airing in those time windows. People are just hungry for baseball, and it's going to be an unprecedented opportunity to open the season.
The Opening Day(s) marathon will kick off a season that will see the return of technical advances launched last year, including the debut of NEP's state-of-the-art EN2 mobile unit, first deployment of Sony HDC4300 4K/high-speed cameras, and use of a Sportvision K-Zone virtual graphic on every pitch. For this season, ESPN has added a 4K Phantom Cam with an Evertz DreamCatcher production/replay system to Sunday Night Baseball and plans to test a new at-home/REMI (remote-integration) graphics-production workflow for approximately 10 games, with operators located at the ESPN broadcast center in Bristol, CT, rather than onsite.
Sunday Night Baseball Gets New Booth, Phantom 4K
The big news around ESPN's marquee MLB property, Sunday Night Baseball, is the debut of a new broadcast booth featuring newcomers Jessica Mendoza (the first female MLB game analyst) and Aaron Boone alongside returning play-by-play voice Dan Shulman and reporter Buster Olney. However, the booth won't be the only new component to SNB: ESPN will deploy a Phantom 4K ultra-high-speed camera integrated with an Evertz DreamCatcher to deliver extreme-slow-motion replays with digital-zoom capability on close plays. The 4K Phantom will be positioned low near the first-base dugout.
ESPN Sunday Night Baseball's broadcast booth will feature (from left) returning play-by-play voice Dan Shulman and new analysts Jessica Mendoza and Aaron Boone.
SNB will be heavy on high-speed this year, with a trio of Sony HDC4300 cameras back in the mix as well.
NEP's EN2 will provide a powerful technological punch without a sprawling footprint for the SNB crew, which often finds itself in a crowded compound with RSN production trucks.
We couldn't be happier with [EN2] and are excited for another year with it, says Terry Brady, director, remote operations, ESPN. It can be a little crowded on our set day with other trucks doing their regional broadcasts, so it was designed exactly for what we needed to do.
In addition to the sizable SNB complement, ESPN has permanently added a Sony HDC4300 camera to its Monday Night Baseball package (which has NEP's NCP10 as its primary truck) after having a high-speed option only on a game-to-game basis last year.
Exploring REMI Graphics Workflow
ESPN has controlled its ART (Advanced Replay Tool) virtual-telestrator operations from Bristol via IP for multiple years, but the network is looking to take this at-home graphics-production workflow one step further this season. On April 6, ESPN will conduct a test in which graphics servers are onsite in the truck but graphics-insertion (including scorebug and Vizrt inserts) is controlled remotely from Bristol. This will be the first of approximately 10 tests ESPN will conduct throughout the season, according to Orlins, to determine the workflow's long-term viability.
It's safe to say we are looking at hybrid REMI/remote combinations, he says. I don't look at REMI as a black-and-white thing; there are gray areas where different pieces of shows or different approaches can be taken. I remain very intrigued by the possibilities of controlling certain operations remotely without necessarily discretely feeding everything back.
K-Zone on Every Pitch: Year 2
ESPN went all-in on K-Zone last year, for the first time displaying the live pitch-tracking graphic over the plate for every pitch in every game. Based on Sportsvision's PitchF/X system, K-Zone had been a part of ESPN's telecasts since 2011, but its constant presence last season proved divisive, yielding both positive and negative reviews. According to Orlins, ESPN remains committed to K-Zone on every pitch and will continue to evolve the K-Zone graphic this year with a slightly subtler look.
We have made some design changes in the live K-Zone - nothing extraordinary, but we went to a look that won't have the yellow crosshair lines anymore, he says. It's a little cleaner and subtler. It may seem like a contradiction to be pushing subtlety for a graphic that is on the screen for 200-plus pitches a game, but we try to make it as seamlessly integrated as possible so that it feels natural.
Revamping Contribution, Transmission Scheme
ESPN is also changing its transmission/contribution scheme this season, delivering its primary feed from MLB ballparks via JPEG2000 fiber paths (3 in/3 out at 600 Mbps). In addition, supplemental data for file-transfer, graphics, comms, and corporate needs will rely on a 1-Gbps path. ESPN has also opted to use IP delivery for its backup path rather than a satellite uplink as in years past, relying instead on a 100-Mbps AT&T path and TVU Networks cellular-bonding transmission for its redundant feed.
This is becoming more standard, and it's been very successful for Monday Night Football, says Brady. There are a lot of reasons for it technically and financially, but we think it's definitely the way to go at this point and what we plan to do going forward.
Thinking
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...
13/05/2026
New Adobe Premiere Color Grading Mode Accelerated on NVIDIA GPUs
Joel Pennington May 13, 2026
0 Comments
New NVIDIA RTX-accelerated features streamlin...
13/05/2026
Grass Valley announced that dB Broadcast has delivered new IP-based outside broadcast (OB) trucks for Cloudbass, featuring Grass Valley LDX 100 Series cameras a...
13/05/2026
Ikegami will exhibit the latest additions to its wide range of broadcast production cameras, control units, viewfinders and monitors on stand 5D3-1 at Broadcast...
13/05/2026
FISE, working with the founding members of the XR Sports Alliance (XRSA), Accedo, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and HBS, have collaborated to develop an immersive...
13/05/2026
Canon Unveils New EOS R6 V Full-Frame EOS Camera and RF20-50mm F4 L IS USM PZ Bu...
13/05/2026
Boston Conservatory at Berklee Honors Beth Morrison and Moses Pendleton at Comme...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Creative software developer Foundry today announced the latest developments on Nuke Stage. A purpose-built application for end-to-end virtual production and in-...
13/05/2026
A definitive portrait of one of Ireland's most influential musicians
New TV documentary airs Monday 18 May on RT One and RT Player at 9.35pm
Watch the...
13/05/2026
Agentic AI is changing the way users get work done. Following the success of OpenClaw, the community is embracing new open source agentic frameworks. The latest...
13/05/2026
Reinforcement-learning agents - AI systems that learn by trial and error - can c...
12/05/2026
Beyond the Hype: A Strategic Post-Hoc Analysis of NAB 2026 If NAB Show 2026 had an underlying theme, it was a quiet, industry-wide pivot from the high-energy sp...
12/05/2026
Guntermann and Drunck (G&D), a Panoptec Technologies Group company, and CT Square, led by Chandresh Shah, have announced a joint venture to distribute G&D and V...
12/05/2026
With 30 days until the start of the FIFA World Cup 2026, Telemundo, the exclusive Spanish-language home of the tournament in the United States, has announced th...
12/05/2026
The NHL has announced the return of Stanley Pup for its third consecutive year, a 90-minute special featuring adoptable rescue dogs competing on a miniature rin...
12/05/2026
NBCUniversal presented its 2026 Upfront to advertisers at Radio City Music Hall, detailing upcoming programming across NBC, Peacock, Bravo, and Versant properti...
12/05/2026
FOX Sports has announced funding for the Fandom and Social Connection Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School's Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Publ...
12/05/2026
TNDV and Live Media, both divisions of Live Media Group, supported live broadcast coverage around NCAA Final Four weekend in Indianapolis, including the March M...
12/05/2026
The European Football Alliance (EFA) has announced a content distribution agreement with Fubo Sports Network, the free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channel ...
12/05/2026
For the first time, Spanish-speaking fans in the U.S. will have two separate tel...
12/05/2026
CP Communications led a comprehensive spectrum management initiative on behalf of Churchill Downs during Kentucky Derby week, coordinating RF assets across the ...
12/05/2026
LiveU has announced a strategic partnership with DRONERESPONDERS, a 501(c)3 non-...
12/05/2026
Open Broadcast Systems has announced that BMC TV, a specialist in IP transport of broadcast content, has selected the Open Broadcast Systems 5G Flyaway solution...
12/05/2026
NEP Europe, part of NEP Group, has announced it will deliver broadcast solutions...
12/05/2026
Grass Valley has announced continued collaboration with Ravensbourne University ...
12/05/2026
Stats Perform has announced the launch of Opta Pulse, an AI-assisted video creation and distribution platform for leagues, rights holders, and broadcasters. The...
12/05/2026
FOX Sports has announced a collaboration with Sesame Workshop to integrate Sesame Street characters into FOX Sports' FIFA World Cup 2026 programming. Conten...
12/05/2026
To date, NHL Productions has produced 19 broadcasts with commentary in American Sign Language
NHL in ASL (American Sign Language) may be just one show, but the...
12/05/2026
Google's Brian Albert: creators, athletes, highlights, nostalgia, second-scr...
12/05/2026
A still from Past Lives by Celine Song, an official selection of the Premieres program at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. (Courtesy of Sundance Institute | p...
12/05/2026
Spotify is where fans and artists come together, turning discovery into somethin...
12/05/2026
Features patented Marco-MMC clocking technology
Black Lion Audio's latest release combines the company's expertise in clocking with their renowned p...
12/05/2026
New Track Panel, sequencer upgrades & more
Following their recent public beta release, Reason Studios have announced the full release of Reason 14. With the...
12/05/2026
One month to go! SBS reveals expansive FIFA World Cup 2026 lineup beyond the pi...
12/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz presents its advanced solutions for power electronics testing at...
12/05/2026
aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, has developed a modified fund raising p...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
Tyrell Corporation, specialists in high-end live sports and entertainment broadcasts, was tasked with delivering compelling broadcast coverage of premier equest...
12/05/2026
Registration is now open for IBC2026 as the global media, entertainment and technology community prepares to converge on the RAI Amsterdam from 11 14 September ...
12/05/2026
Ross Video, a global leader in live video production technology, will present its latest innovations and integrated production workflows at BroadcastAsia 2026, ...
12/05/2026
500 selected leaders from around the world across start-ups, corporates, and venture capital. Over 50bn in assets under management among attending investors, a...
Opening Day is nigh, and ESPN is set to throw the first pitch on the 2016 MLB season like never before, providing a record seven live game telecasts in two days. April 3 and 4 will feature the Opening Day games for all 10 2015 MLB Postseason teams, with a Sunday tripleheader culminating in a primetime World Series rematch between the Kansas City Royals and New York Mets.
