Seen on Screen: ESPN To Televise MLB Draft on June 10-11; Packer and Durham Return in Split Studio on June 8

Seen on Screen provides a roundup of the current sports programming landscape as networks deal with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. In this week’s edition, major networks like NBC Sports, Fox Sports, and ESPN are combating the silence of no live sports with previously-released, taped, or archival content. Many networks have also continued producing live studio content – often with on-air talent located remotely.

ESPN, in conjunction with Major League Baseball, will nationally televise the 2020 MLB Draft on Wednesday, June 10, and Thursday, June 11. The first round will air June 10, from 7 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. ET on ESPN and the second round through fifth round will air June 11, from 5 p.m. – 11 p.m. ET on ESPN2. In total, ESPN platforms will carry nearly 10 hours of live MLB Draft coverage. The event will also stream via the ESPN App.

In addition, ESPN Deportes will exclusively televise day one of the 2020 MLB Draft in Spanish from 7-10:30 p.m. ET on June 10.

Veteran ESPN baseball commentator Karl Ravech will host ESPN’s coverage of the MLB Draft at ESPN’s Bristol, Conn. studios alongside ESPN MLB Insider and draft expert Kiley McDaniel. Additionally, several ESPN MLB and college baseball commentators will contribute to coverage remotely, including Chris Burke, Jessica Mendoza, Jeff Passan, Eduardo Perez and Kyle Peterson.

ESPN’s MLB Draft coverage highlights to include:

• Cameras with General Manager or select personnel of all 30 MLB Clubs
• Jessica Mendoza conducts one-on-one interviews with several of the top players available in this year’s event in a series of videos packages
• Keith Olbermann’s essay on the top MLB players ever drafted after the fifth round.

ESPN.com is also documenting the MLB Draft with a special coverage section that includes McDaniel’s mock drafts.

This marks the first time ESPN has produced the MLB Draft since 2008 when the event was held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. ESPN also produced the 2007 event at the same location…

…Packer and Durham, ACC Network’s (ACCN) morning news and information show, returns to a daily, two-hour format beginning Monday, June 8. The morning show hosted by Mark Packer and Wes Durham that has been on hiatus since March 16, will air live each morning from 8-10 a.m. ET. The show will re-air on ACCN from 10 a.m. – Noon.

Both Packer and Durham will be live from their respective homes with Packer in the show’s traditional basement studio and Durham with a new at-home studio similar to the production setups for analysts and commentators appearing on ESPN programming across all ESPN networks.

Packer and Durham will continue to cover timely news and storylines from around the ACC, along with interviews with coaches, student-athletes, and more. The duo will take viewer’s calls throughout the show and it will be simulcast on SiriusXM ACC Radio…

…Following a Return to Racing announcement made by NASCAR, NBC Sports will begin its portion of the 2020 NASCAR schedule on Fourth of July Weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on NBC with Xfinity and NASCAR Cup Series racing on July 4 and July 5, respectively.

Fourth of July weekend will feature the first-ever NASCAR/INDYCAR doubleheader, beginning at noon ET on NBC, with the NTT INDYCAR Series and NASCAR Xfinity Cup Series competing on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. NBC Sports begins its coverage of the Cup Series schedule on the oval at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, July 5, at 4 p.m. ET on NBC.

The latest schedule announcement is also highlighted by Cup and Xfinity Series races at Texas Motor Speedway on NBCSN on July 18 and 19; a mid-week Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway on July 23 on NBCSN; and Cup Series racing from New Hampshire Motor Speedway on August 2.

Following Fourth of July weekend, coverage will switch back to FOX through the NASCAR All-Star race on July 15. NBC will resume its coverage of NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Cup Series on Saturday, July 18, through the remainder of the season, including the new and highly-anticipated Playoffs schedule that will culminate with the crowning of three NASCAR national series champions at Phoenix Raceway in November.