Your First Look Inside The MLB Network Studios

Monday, December 08, 2008


I'm still enjoying what the MLB Network is trying to put together, at every turn, and today is no different as they released the details and photos of their New Jersey studios. The network will have two separate spaces and will dedicate one to Babe Ruth, by naming it Studio 3, and one have one called Studio 42 after Jackie Robinson. On top of that

SECAUCUS, N.J. – MLB Network today unveiled the designs and set details of the two studios at its Secaucus, NJ headquarters. Named to honor Babe Ruth and Jackie Robinson, “Studio 3” and “Studio 42” total 15,200 square feet, including 9,600 square feet for Studio 42 alone. Every video display in both studios will be fully native HD, as will all video produced at the studios. MLB Network will launch on January 1, 2009, in approximately 50 million homes as the largest network debut in cable history.

Studio 3 will be the primary home of the live nightly studio show, MLB Tonight. Measuring 5,600 square feet, Studio 3 features 62 video displays, including a 30x7-foot rear projection screen, 108” and 103” monitors, as well as a Perceptive Pixel touch screen display, which will allow MLB Network personalities to interact with and change graphics and images on-screen. The studio will feature a desk that can rotate to various stations and includes six distinct broadcast areas, including a balcony, stat center, and interview area. The ceiling is ringed by backlit logos of all 30 MLB teams and the entire studio features lighting that can be altered to give it the feel of day or night.

Studio 42 measures 9,600 square feet, and will be used as a demonstration center by MLB Network’s on-air talent, which includes former players Al Leiter, Joe Magrane and Harold Reynolds. Studio 42 is designed to be a replica baseball field, featuring a half-scale infield made of field turf, measuring 45 feet from base to base and a pitcher’s mound 30 feet from home plate that can be moved back for more realistic demonstrations. The studio also features a replica outfield wall, complete with padding, brick designs, three different seating areas that can hold up to 173 people, and a 25-foot out-of-town scoreboard loosely modeled after the scoreboard at Citizen’s Bank Park in Philadelphia that will be updated in real-time.
Sounds fancy right? Well it looks even more spectacular in these photos that they released with the descriptions of both....


Pretty, huh? The network is still looking launch on January 1st, and to about 50 million homes. They are also saying that the debut will be the largest in "cable television history and will be broadcast to more than 20 million homes than the previous high. The rumor is that they'll also be trying to acquire rights to Thursday night games, so they wouldn't be up against any other national broadcasts, and they would use studio analysts as announcers (the previous spot was said to be Saturdays).

Posted by Awful Announcing- at 2:01 PM

11 Comments:

don't take this the wrong way, but i could care less what a studio looks like. what i am concerned about is the content.

(for example, the nhl network studio is as bland as bland can be. but the highlights packages are dynamite.)

if the mlb network is going to be like baseball tonight and try to beat into your head yankees/red sox highlights over and over and over, then it will be a joke.

if it truly is about mlb and gives highlights to all games and not just three or four games, then it will succeed.

Anonymous said...
Dec 8, 2008, 2:13:00 PM  

Their flagship show will be called "MLB Tonight"? Orignial name. It sounds a lot like "Baseball Tonight."

Anonymous said...
Dec 8, 2008, 3:05:00 PM  

"Studio 3" looks very similar to the studios of Comcast Sportsnet reginal netowrks in Philadlephia and Washingotn D.C.

Anonymous said...
Dec 8, 2008, 3:52:00 PM  

Third place in the studio naming competition was Rob Deer's Studio 45.

GMoney said...
Dec 8, 2008, 4:15:00 PM  
This comment has been removed by the author.
Steven said...
Dec 8, 2008, 4:18:00 PM  

wow it really loks like ESPN Baseball Tonight's studios. As if there sin't enough baseball coverage on ESPN, now we can get the same stuff round the clock, amazing what US sports Tv is coming too these days.

Steven said...
Dec 8, 2008, 4:20:00 PM  

Every studio looks like ESPN.

Anonymous said...
Dec 8, 2008, 5:14:00 PM  

To all the people saying that it's the same as 'Baseball Tonight'...it's not.

As of right now, judging by who's doing the shows, it's nothing like 'Baseball Tonight'. If for no other reason than it won't include insufferable douches like John Kruk. Nor will it have Eric Young's voice.

The only analyst worth half a shit at ESPN is Hershiser. The rest are professional cliche spewers.

Anonymous said...
Dec 9, 2008, 12:11:00 AM  

Thanks for writing this BP. I have been wondering about MLB TV for quite a while. I would actually watch it. Out of the big 3 TV channels, I would watch MLB the most. I love the back stories.

Anonymous said...
Dec 9, 2008, 1:04:00 PM  

I can't wait for this

Anonymous said...
Dec 9, 2008, 10:02:00 PM  

The only thing I really care about it's that it will be a 24 hour channel with nothing but baseball!!!! Dream come true!

Anonymous said...
Dec 14, 2008, 12:23:00 PM  

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