“Put the game on” is a common saying for sports lovers but it’s getting more difficult to actually do so. The MLB has deals with Apple+, YouTube and Peacock In addition to the deals Major League Baseball already has with your regional sports network, with ESPN and FOX.
With games being showcased throughout the season across these different streaming services, big-time revenue is being brought in for not only the streaming services, but Major League Baseball as well. However, these games are exclusively on the selected streaming service, and it impacts viewership numbers because not every fan has access to every streaming service, making it hard for said fan to enjoy the team they love. Fans get attached to particular voices when watching games. The commentary during games can make or break an experience for fans not at the ballpark
Regional broadcast are more popular because fans get to know the voices and the thoughts of the announcers throughout the season. The announcers become a fixture of an era of a team. Cleveland Guardians fans love the Bally Sports broadcast with Matt Underwood, Rick Manning and Andre Knott because they give you in-depth analysis and behind the scenes stories in ways that national broadcast can’t, especially with a team that is exceeding expectations and pushing for a playoff spot like the Guardians are.
Baseball is loved even more by the 25-54 demographic, and they like to keep things traditional by turning on the TV and flipping to the game with their remote control. With streaming services being more normalized instead of local broadcast, baseball is arguarbly getting rid of their biggest audience members.
Baseball’s biggest issue is not marketing the many superstars they have. If they want to grow the audience of the younger generation, they need to have players fans can relate to in commercials and more present for them to enjoy, not put many games on various streaming services.
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