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 ...
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...
19/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/05/2026
LYNX Technik, provider of modular signal processing solutions for broadcast, post, and professional AV will showcase its latest signal processing solutions at B...
19/05/2026
Media Links, a leading developer and manufacturer of IP media transport solutions, has announced the integration of its Xscend platform with Skyline Communicat...
19/05/2026
Collaboration expands regional partner ecosystem as Media Links showcases IP media transport solutions on stand 4M4-4 and alongside Clearcast Asia on stand
Me...
19/05/2026
Company Highlights Labor-Saving Control and Custom Branding Opportunities Designed to Increase Integrator Profitability
LynTec, a leading manufacturer of ele...
19/05/2026
Mago Studio Moves AI Video Beyond Prompts with New Production-Focused Tools
Brie Clayton May 18, 2026
0 Comments
New Capabilities Bring Controllable, ...
19/05/2026
It May be Time to Stop and Take an AI Breather
Brie Clayton May 19, 2026
0 Comments
If the rock you stay on starts to roll, jump clean. Or you'll...
18/05/2026
Despite a bumpy start to the year, the provider of event-production support and ...
18/05/2026
Daktronics has partnered with the University of North Carolina to manufacture and install 11 LED displays totaling more than 10,000 square feet and more than 14...
18/05/2026
CBS LA has announced a multi-year partnership with the Los Angeles Rams, covering exclusive local broadcasts of Rams preseason games, weekly year-round programm...
18/05/2026
Skyline Communications has announced an integration between its DataMiner xOps p...
18/05/2026
eCLUTCH, the hybrid esports platform powered by iKOMG, has announced an expansion of its distribution across Europe, MENA, Africa, and Asia, along with new cont...
18/05/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
18/05/2026
With 22 games this season, the production team looks forward to tweaking and enhancing the coverage
After 8,660 days off the air, the WNBA returned to NBC yest...
18/05/2026
(L-R) Midori Francis and Natalie Erika James attend the Saccharine premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 22, 2026, in ...
18/05/2026
Last night, the Spotify Podcast Awards in Mexico returned to the country's capital. Now in its second year, the evening honors creators whose voices are hel...
18/05/2026
ZEN-Core synth goes mobile
Roland's powerful ZEN-Core software synthesizer has just been introduced to the iPad, offering a convenient entry point into ...
18/05/2026
Versatile new limiter plug-in announced
Based in Sheffield, UK, fedDSP offer a range of plug-ins that span the music production, live sound and high-end med...
18/05/2026
A new use for convolution?
Viiri Audio's debut plug-in aims to do something a little different with convolution processing, allowing users to adjust all...
18/05/2026
Delta Goodrem shines for SBS as more than 3.27 million Australians tune in for E...
18/05/2026
The Australian Defence Force uses L3Harris T4 and T7 robots for explosive ordnan...
18/05/2026
Continued investment across Europe and Germany is expanding local teams and improving access to stock, regional expertise, and specialist broadcast support.
CV...
18/05/2026
Agentic AI inference at one-tenth the cost per token with NVIDIA Vera Rubin NVL7...
18/05/2026
18 May 2026
Dubai and New York, May 18, 2026 - VEON Ltd. (NASDAQ: VEON), a glob...
18/05/2026
Monday 18 May 2026
Sky News offers ad-free podcasts and bonus episodes for just...
18/05/2026
Comscore March 2026 Consumer AI Chatbot Usage Rankings Show Claude Gaining Share OpenAI's ChatGPT maintains lead while Anthropic's Claude continues to c...
17/05/2026
Delta Goodrem's Eurovision Eclipse marks end of a stellar run
17 May, 2026
Media releases
Bulgaria wins Eurovision 2026
Relive every spellbinding mome...
17/05/2026
Back to All News
Oasis Premieres on Netflix June 19
Entertainment
17 May 2026
GlobalSpain
Link copied to clipboard
Summer, sunshine, the beach, parties. T...
16/05/2026
Helps to deliver a clean, balanced midrange
Developed alongside Newfangled Audio, the latest plug-in in Eventide's software collection has been designed...
16/05/2026
Brings onboard stem rendering to RANE System One
Engine DJ have just released Engine DJ 5.0, a free update for their Engine DJ OS embedded hardware and Engi...
16/05/2026
Boris FX Continuum Pairs AI Precision and Advanced Creative Controls
Jessie Electa Petrov May 16, 2026
0 Comments
The 2026.5 release adds automatic de...
16/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
16/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
16/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
16/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/05/2026
Seattle Sounders FC and Seattle Reign FC, in partnership with RAVE Foundation an...
15/05/2026
Dan Brumm has served as sound designer on Bluey, the Australian children's t...
15/05/2026
The Professional Audio Manufacturers Alliance (PAMA) and Shure Incorporated are accepting applications for the 6th annual Mark Brunner Professional Audio Schola...
15/05/2026
Netflix has announced an expanded NFL schedule for 2026 and beyond under a four-year partnership extension with the NFL through the 2029-30 season. Each season,...
15/05/2026
Ateme is supporting TVRI (Televisi Republik Indonesia) with a contribution and d...
15/05/2026
Concacaf has announced the launch of a new website and mobile app built on Deltatre's FORGE platform. Concacaf.com and the mobile app, available on iOS and ...
15/05/2026
Eutelsat has announced the launch of QBC Business Economic Channel by Qatar Media Corporation, broadcasting in 4K/UHD via Eutelsat's 7/8 West video neighbo...
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 
