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[[Category:1990 television program debuts]]
[[Category:1990 television program debuts]]
[[Category:1990s TV shows in the United States]]
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[[Category:2000s TV shows in the United States]]
[[Category:2000s American television series]]
[[Category:ESPN network shows|Major League Baseball]]
[[Category:ESPN network shows|Major League Baseball]]
[[Category:ESPN2 network shows|Major League Baseball]]
[[Category:ESPN2 network shows|Major League Baseball]]

Revision as of 18:29, 26 December 2006

ESPN Major League Baseball
File:Mlbespn.jpg
StarringVarious personalities (see below)
Country of origin United States
Production
Running time3 hours
Original release
NetworkESPN (1990-)
ReleaseApril 15, 1990 –
Present

ESPN Major League Baseball is a promotion of Major League Baseball on ESPN and ESPN2, with simulcasts on ESPNHD or ESPN2HD. Major League Baseball on ESPN debuted on April 15, 1990 with Sunday Night Baseball, ESPN Major League Baseball is guaranteed to remain on air until 2013.

The title is derived from the fact that it may come on a night when ESPN doesn't have a scheduled game (i.e. Tuesday, Friday, or Saturday). The different weekly regular season games that ESPN has is (as of 2006): Sunday Night Baseball presented by Taco Bell, Monday Night Baseball presented by Holiday Inn, ESPN DayGame presented by Fruit of the Loom, Wednesday Night Baseball presented by Goodyear and Thursday Night Baseball powered by Castrol. In addition to regular season games, ESPN also airs spring training games entitled ESPN Spring Training and formerly aired Division Series playoff games entitled ESPN MLB Division Series. ESPN also airs an emmy award winning daily highlight show called Baseball Tonight at 10pm ET and 12am ET as part of The Trifecta.

History

1990

On January 5, 1989, Major League Baseball signed a $400 million deal with ESPN, who would show over 175 games in beginning in 1990. For the next four years, ESPN would televise six games a week (Sunday, Wednesday Night Baseball, doubleheaders on Tuesdays and Fridays, plus holidays).

On April 15, 1990, ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball with the experienced play-by-play broadcaster Jon Miller and Joe Morgan debuted. In its first year, Sunday Night Baseball averaged a 3.0 rating. That was double the number that ESPN as a whole was averaging at the time (1.5). By 1998, ESPN enjoyed its largest baseball audience ever (a 9.5 Nielsen rating) as Mark McGwire hit his 61st home run of the season.

When ESPN first broadcasted Sunday Night Baseball, they would show at least one game from every ballpark. Also, every team was guaranteed an appearance. It was essentially, the television equivalent to a cross country stadium tour.

1994

In 1994, ESPN renewed its baseball contract for six years (through the 1999 season). The new deal was worth $42.5 million per year and $255 million overall. The deal was ultimately voided after the 1995 season and ESPN was pretty much forced to restructure their contract.

1996

In 1996, ESPN began a five year contract with Major League Baseball worth $440 million and about $80 million per year. ESPN paid for the rights to a Wednesday doubleheader and the Sunday Night Baseball Game of the Week, as well as all postseason games not aired on FOX or NBC. Major League Baseball staggered the times of first-round games to provide a full-day feast for viewers: ESPN could air games at 1 p.m., 4 p.m., and 11 p.m. EDT, with the broadcast networks telecasting the prime time game.

2000

ESPN and ESPN2 had contracts (which were signed in 2000 and ran through 2005) to show selected weeknight and Sunday Night Baseball games, along with selected Division Series playoff games. The contracts with ESPN were worth $141.8 million per year and $851 million overall.

2001

After Disney bought Fox Family (who from 2000-2001 aired Thursday night games) in 2002 to become ABC Family the Division Series games aired on ABC Family (with ESPN's announcers, graphics, and music) for one year.

2005

OLN[1] was briefly considering picking up the rights to the Sunday and Wednesday games, which expired after the 2005 season. On September 14, 2005 however, ESPN, then the current rights holder, signed an eight year contract with Major League Baseball, highlighted by the continuation of ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball series with additional, exclusive team appearances. The key details of the agreement were:

  • Up to 80 regular-season telecasts per year;
  • No blackout restrictions on exclusive Sunday Night Baseball; Monday Night Baseball, with ESPN mostly coexisting with local carriers
  • Up to five appearances per team per year on the exclusive Sunday Night Baseball series, up from 11 over three years;
  • Daily Baseball Tonight programs – one of ESPN's most popular series -- including the continued right to show in-progress highlights and live cut-ins;
  • MLB Home Run Derby, ESPN's highest-rated program of the summer and one of cable's best, and additional All-Star programming;
  • Continuation of season-long Wednesday baseball on ESPN and ESPN2
  • A new afternoon batting practice program, generally from the site of ESPN's Monday night telecast. (This show will debut in 2007)
  • For the first time, the 11 p.m. ET SportsCenter will present a nightly Baseball Tonight update featuring in-progress highlights;
  • Select games and MLB All-Star events on ESPN2 throughout the season;
  • 10 spring training games and MLB Opening Day coverage;
  • Telecast rights for ESPN HD, ESPN2 HD, ESPN Deportes and ESPN International;
  • Ability to include MLB programming as part of the delivery of the ESPN networks via cable, satellite and other new or developing technologies, such as cell phones and wireless devices;
  • Archival footage and game programming and Instant Classic rights for ESPN Classic.

ESPN Radio also maintains exclusive terrestrial rights.

ESPN's Monday and Wednesday telecasts will be mostly nonexclusive, meaning the games also can be televised by each club's local broadcasters. In fact, Wednesday games are blacked out on ESPN unless a participating team's local broadcaster does not choose to televise the game. The Sunday games remain on ESPN only, and with ESPN gaining the rights to Monday Night Football telecasts, it looks likely that Sunday Night Baseball will run uninterrupted on ESPN throughout the season, except on Opening Night (which usually conflicts with the NCAA Women's Basketball Final Four).

The sport will average $296 million under the new agreement, a television and a baseball official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of a confidentiality agreement in the deal. ESPN will pay baseball $273.5 million in 2006, $293.5 million in each of the following four years, $308.5 million in 2011 and $306 million in each of the final two seasons.

2006

ESPN was hit with a storm of controversy in 2006 when Harold Reynolds was fired amidst allegations of sexual harassment. More turmoil came weeks later, when Peter Gammons was sidelined with a brain aneurysm. Gammons returned to ESPN in early September.

ESPN telecasts in 2006, posted an average of 1,115,000 household impressions, up 27% when compared to 2005's 875,000. The corresponding 1.2 rating this year marks a 20% increase over the 1.0 average in 2005. ESPN2's baseball telecasts have averaged 704,000 households, an increase of 34% over 2005's 525,000. Ratings on ESPN2 went up 33% (0.8 vs. 0.6).

After the 2006 Division Series, ESPN lost the rights to broadcast playoff games on TV. All postseason games, from possible one-game playoffs to the World Series, will air on FOX Sports and TBS beginning in 2007. Games will remain on ESPN Radio.

See also: Major League Baseball on cable television

Technology

See also: Baseball telecasts technology
File:Espnmlbkzone1.jpg
K Zone 1.0

Through the years, ESPN has enhanced its MLB coverage with the introduction and implementation of innovative technology. Which include:

  • April 1995- ESPN debuted in-game box scores during Major League Baseball telecasts. Hitting, pitching and fielding stats from the game are shown along the bottom of the screen three time per game.
  • April 15, 2001- ESPN Dead Center debuted on Sunday Night Baseball with Texas vs. Oakland. This new camera angle, directly behind the pitcher, is used provide true depiction of inside/outside pitch location and is used in certain parks in conjunction with K Zone.
  • April 7, 2002- ESPN became the first network to place a microphone on a player during a regular-season baseball game. "Player Mic" was worn by Oakland catcher Ramon Hernandez (who also wore "MaskCam") and taped segments were heard.
  • April 10, 2005- "SkyCam" premiered during Sunday Night Baseball. "SkyCam" is mounted more than 20 feet above the stands in foul territory and travels down a designated base path (first or third base line, from behind home plate to the foul pole), capturing overhead views of the action. The remote-controlled camera can zoom, pan and tilt.
  • April 2, 2006- A handheld camera brings viewers closer to the action for in-game live shots of home run celebrations, managers approaching the mound and more.

Personalities

Assigments are based on the 2006 season.

Current

Former

Broadcast Teams

See: List of ESPN Major League Baseball broadcast teams

See also

References

  1. MLB on ESPN 2004 Press Kit
  2. MLB on ESPN Technology Through the Years
  3. MLB on ESPN 2005 Press Kit
  4. Major League Baseball, ESPN reach new eight-year television agreement
  5. Baseball on ESPN Oficial site
  6. MLB on ESPN 2006 Press Kit
  7. ESPN AND MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL REACH EIGHT-YEAR REGULAR-SEASON DEAL THROUGH 2013
  8. GAMMONS JOINS SUNDAY NIGHT BASEBALL
  9. Major League Baseball on Cable Television
  10. ESPN MLB Technology through the years

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=ESPN_Major_League_Baseball&oldid=96583443"