MLB to broadcast Royals at Detroit Tigers game on Sunday with no traditional announcers or broadcast crew
Major League Baseball announced this week their July 4th holiday TV schedule, and Peacocks broadcast of the Kansas City Royals-Detroit Tigers game on Sunday is sure to be different. Rather than having a broadcast team, the MLB is opting to have no announcers in the booth.
Here’s the press release courtesy of NBC Sports.
MLB Sunday Leadoff host and in-game reporter Ahmed Fareed, former Tigers outfielder and current Bally Sports Detroit analyst Craig Monroe, and NBC Sports’ Britney Eurton will take fans around Detroit’s Comerica Park throughout the game, providing viewers with a tour of the ballpark, unique viewpoints, conversations with special guests, and more.
This is another way to take you out to the ball game and give the fans a unique experience,” said Sam Flood, NBC Sports Production Executive Producer & President. “We’re going to be fans of the game, taking you to different parts of the ballpark and engaging in a way that fans watch the game in the stadium.
Okay a few things here. I want to be clear that I actually don’t hate the idea, however I would absolutely hate it if I was a fan of one of the teams playing. The last thing I need is a tour of Citizens Bank Park and segments focused on the Phillie Phanatic while I’m trying to watch the Phillies play baseball.
With streaming platforms picking up more and more sporting events, I don’t understand why they feel like they have to change the broadcast in the process. Just stick to good old fashioned baseball. There’s no need for all the rest of this nonsense.
Still, when you have two teams playing like the Royals and Tigers, two teams that are a combined 36 games below .500, I guess you have to get creative to attract viewership.
I would have taken it a step further and had nothing except the sweet sounds of the ballpark. No broadcast. No stadium tours. No interviews. No mic’d up players. Just baseball. Baseball players are notoriously boring people and that doing an MTV Cribs stadium ball park tour isn’t much better. I’m all for innovation but let’s come up with better ideas.
There’s nothing better than watching baseball or golf on a Sunday afternoon, even more so on July 4th weekend and a party on Saturday leading you into a nice early afternoon recovery on the couch.
