NFL RedZone might be the greatest invention known to man, so it only makes sense that we’d get a version of it for every sport — including baseball. MLB.TV has launched “MLB Big Inning,” a streaming-only studio show that will bring viewers all the MLB action as its happening.
“Available exclusively to MLB.TV subscribers, Big Inning features live look-ins and real-time highlights from all 30 teams,” MLB said, “taking fans into local broadcasts so you can check in on the game’s brightest stars at the moments that matter most.” The channel will air on weekday evenings at 9:30 p.m. EST.
For the uninitiated, the concept here is that a central anchor will bounce around to different MLB games and highlight big moments, top plays, and provide context as to what’s going on around the league. The NFL’s equivalent, NFL RedZone, is piloted by Andrew Siciliano (DirecTV) and Scott Hanson (everywhere else) and zooms around the league’s games when teams are in prime position to score. The hosts will also check in on big plays, major injuries, games with playoff implications, or other notable shifts in action. In certain cases, you’ll see multiple games on screen at once (affectionately called the “double-box” or even “octo-box”) or the games will bounce back and forth between full-screen feeds of two or more games.
The same can easily be done with MLB games. Have two games with runners in scoring position? Tune into Big Inning to see both games in action. Wondering what teams on the other side of the country are up to? Big Inning can fix that by providing live feeds to Padres games (or Yankees games if you’re on the West Coast.)
MLB’s shift towards streaming is a move that’s needed — especially in this new streaming age. We recently covered a Variety report revealed that fewer sports fans are watching full games, and a study provided by Roku shows a shift in the way viewers are consuming sports by in large. Baseball seems to be the sport most affected by shifting habits, so a fast-paced show like Big Inning would be a huge step in the right direction for America’s pastime.