MLB Little League Classic 2023: ESPN Taps Into Bowman Field's Intimate Setting, Increased Team Access A new edition of KidsCast will air with young broadcasters, special guests on ESPN2 By Kristian Hern ndez, Senior Editor
Thursday, August 17, 2023 - 1:55 pm
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
Kicking off with yesterday's four-game slate of international and domestic matchups, the 2023 Little League World Series is officially in full swing in Williamsport, PA. When two professional franchises, the Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Nationals, square off in the 2023 MLB Little League Classic on Sunday, Aug. 20, ESPN will attack this annual event with a REMI production from Bristol, CT and technology that highlights the nostalgic spirit of the Little League World Series (LLWS).
It's always special to get a chance to see Major League players in a more youth-oriented environment and see that side of their personalities, says Phil Orlins, VP, production, ESPN. MLB has bought into that access, and it's the best we get for a regular season game.
Broadcasting From Bristol: REMI Production Includes NEP Mobile Units, 13 Game Cameras During each summer, ESPN becomes the home of all levels of baseball. Whether it's the College World Series in June, the weekly Sunday Night Baseball slate, or the MLB Home Run Derby in July, the fun continues with the nearly two-week-long Little League World Series in August. With that onslaught of productions on their plate, ESPN is opting for a REMI production from Bristol of this Sunday's regular season clash of National League East opponents. Leveraging this production method since 2021, which featured the then-Cleveland Indians and the Los Angeles Angels, this approach not only allows ESPN's MLB personnel to focus on the swath of other broadcasts but also has other benefits.
It allows us to keep our traditional model consistent and is definitely more cost efficient, says Orlins. The ESPN broadcast is similar to how we produce Sunday Night Baseball, but for the KidsCast on ESPN2, we'll have a producer in Williamsport to be in direct contact with [on-air talent] and another producer in Bristol to collaborate on the execution of elements.
ESPN has constructed an independent compound at Bowman Field.
Prior to the first REMI in 2021, the operations team at ESPN made a concerted effort and investment into bolstering the infrastructure at the venue. This strengthened connectivity is bringing together NEP's NCPII mobile unit with the two control rooms being used in Bristol. This onsite compound is separate than the extensive LLWS complex located six miles away, and despite the idea of utilizing the LLWS compound for the Little League Classic being an option, it wasn't a time-sensitive one.
We've had those discussions, but trying to route fiber across town after doing four games the day before would be difficult, adds Orlins. For instance, we've done a REMI for the MLB Draft at MLB All-Star this way, but it wasn't really a viable approach without jeopardizing what we have in place for the Little League World Series.
From an equipment perspective, the game will feature 13 cameras (10 hard and two handheld) as well as the popular UmpCam that has been seen during Sunday Night Baseball.
New Faces on KidsCast: Alternate Feed Spotlights Skills of the Broadcasters of Tomorrow Since making its debut in 2019, KidsCast has grown into another example of ESPN's excellent work with alternative broadcasts. On the commentary side, second-time participant and reporter Pepper Persley will be joined by a pair of two new talent: Zach Brody and Owen Heffron. Emanating from the Bruce Beck Sports Broadcasting Camp, the network has seen success with these up-and-coming announcers. And although these future stars are still working to perfect their craft, this alternative broadcast is still shaped around presenting their talent in a professional-level environment.
Pepper Persley (right) interviews President George W. Bush during last year's KidsCast.
Their skill level is good, and my confidence in them is very high, continues Orlins. What I always say is that we don't just do the game with kids, but also create a broadcast scenario that's roughly the same as what we'd ask Michael Kay to do on KayRod Cast.
This includes numerous interviews with celebrities, players, and dignitaries. In the past, previous editions have included special guests like LLWS legends Mo'ne Davis and Todd Frazier, MLB superstar Shohei Ohtani, President George W. Bush, and more. This year's edition will see MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred and another slate of new guests.
Operationally, this edition of the game will also be conducted as a REMI in a similar way that KayRod Cast is done. For the main broadcast on ESPN, this version will include the SNB team of Karl Ravech, Eduardo Perez, David Cone, and Buster Olney. Roxy Bernstein and Doug Glanville will have the call on ESPN Radio, and on ESPN Deportes, the trio of Ernesto Jerez, Luis Alfredo Alvarez, and Guillermo Celis will provide commentary.
Inside the Clubhouse: Fans Gain Access to Players With In-Game Interviews, Talent on Team Buses ESPN is always trying to bring fans closer to the players they're watching on television, and an event like the Little League Classic is one of the best places to do it. With the idea of putting Little Leaguers and the amateur game at the forefront, the league is allowing the network to have more time and access with both clubs. After limitations last year due to the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, those restrictions are now being loosened and are allowing activations like reporters on team buses after landing at the airport. Another production wrinkle that will allow players in the dugout to speak wit
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
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 ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
03/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/03/2026
NBC Sports selected Imaginary Forces to create the main title sequence for the M...
02/03/2026
The NFL announces the launch of the NFL Draft Innovation Challenge, a new crowds...
02/03/2026
The World Teleport Association (WTA) has named Skyline Communications' DataMiner SatOps solution as a finalist for the 2026 Teleport Technology of the Year ...
02/03/2026
Ventum Tech announces a strategic partnership with Pixotope, a real-time graphic...
02/03/2026
Victory , a free, ad-supported sports streaming service, announces the launch of...
02/03/2026
Global powerhouse Delta Goodrem to represent Australia at this year's Eurovi...
02/03/2026
SBS brings together prominent voices to discuss rising social division and seek ...
02/03/2026
NITV Unveils Wednesday Night Sport Night
Media releases
A Midweek Hub for Blak Sport
Flagship NRL program Over The Black Dot moves to Wednesdays at 9:30pm
...
02/03/2026
Rohde & Schwarz demonstrates FR1-FR3 carrier aggregation, advancing 6G readiness Rohde & Schwarz and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. have reached another pivotal ...
02/03/2026
MELBOURNE, Fla., March 2, 2026 - L3Harris Technologies (NYSE: LHX) today announc...
02/03/2026
Harvey Norman tops New Zealand's biggest ad spenders as retail leads and telcos and beverages sure Auckland March 3, 2026 - Nielsen's New Zealand'...
02/03/2026
aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, and Arqit Quantum Inc. (Nasdaq: ARQQ, A...
02/03/2026
Advanced Systems Group, LLC (ASG), a technology and services provider for media creatives and content owners, has appointed Jody Boatwright as Chief Strategy Of...
02/03/2026
Lightware, an industry leader in signal management, is reinforcing its commitment to simplifying complex AV environments with the continued evolution of its TPN...
02/03/2026
ZEISS Cinema opens its doors to an exclusive screening, filmmakers Q&A and hands-on showcase of the new ZEISS Aatma lens family on Tuesday, March 10, 6:00-9:00 ...
02/03/2026
To expand the creative potential of the compact Astera QuikBeam, DoPchoice introduces the SNAPBAG Round. The new light-shaping accessory transforms the powerfu...
02/03/2026
Douglas Dubler
On a rooftop in New York City, veteran photographer Douglas Dubler watched the sun's angle shift across the urban landscape, his internal cl...
02/03/2026
ZEISS is expanding its Otus ML lens family with the introduction of the new ZEISS Otus ML 1.4/35. This manual-focus lens is designed for photographers who live ...
02/03/2026
Matthews Studio Equipment now offers the new Dinkum Systems White FlexiMount and Phone Mount Kit, a compact, highly adaptable setup for mobile content creation...
02/03/2026
Luxembourg, February 26, 2026 - SES and Africa Mobile Network (AMN) have expande...
02/03/2026
02 03 2026 - Media release Ausfilm and Screen Australia launch joint UK market initiative
Ausfilm and Screen Australia have announced Partner with Australia (...
02/03/2026
Monday 2 March 2026
Saturday Night Live UK announces writing team
L-R: Jonno Johnson; Charlie Skelton; Celya AB; Omar Badawy; Gr inne Maguire; Laura Claxton; ...
02/03/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Unveils the Trailer for 53 Sundays, the New Film by Cesc Gay
Entertainment
02 March 2026
GlobalSpain
Link copied to clipboard
Dis...
28/02/2026
With two features seen in Formula 1 coverage, the broadcaster aims to bring view...
28/02/2026
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth addresses a crowd of approximately 1,500 L3Harris employees in Camden, Arkansas, as part of his Arsenal of Freedom tour....
28/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/02/2026
Berklee Presents Mambo Mania: Eguie Castrillo and the Berklee All-Stars Big Band...
28/02/2026
Berklee Announces Two New Summer Programs in Los Angeles The Berklee Music Business Program and Electronic Music Production and Sound Design Workshop bring imme...
28/02/2026
AI-RAN is moving from lab to field, showing that a software-defined approach is ...
28/02/2026
Autonomous networks - intelligent, self-managing telecommunications operations -...
28/02/2026
Back to All News
Final Trailer for BEASTARS Final Season Part 2' Roars Tow...
28/02/2026
New way to intentionally discover molecular glues could expand drug discovery Scripps Research scientists and colleagues show how drugs that eliminate certain d...
27/02/2026
The E.W. Scripps Company names Oliver Gray as Vice President, Network Sports and...
27/02/2026
The Gotham Sports App, the exclusive direct-to-consumer streaming home of MSG Networks and the YES Network, is now available for purchase through Prime Video fo...
MLB Little League Classic 2023: ESPN Taps Into Bowman Field's Intimate Setting, Increased Team Access A new edition of KidsCast will air with young broadcasters, special guests on ESPN2 By Kristian Hern ndez, Senior Editor 
