MLB Postseason 2023: Fox Sports Maintains 1080p HDR Push Toward Another Fall Classic

Studio show will be in the format for the second consecutive playoff series

Now that the MLB Wild Card Round has ended, Fox Sports begins its journey to the 2023 World Series with the American League Division Series (ALDS) this weekend. In typical postseason fashion, the broadcaster will produce live game and studio coverage in 1080p HDR and upconvert to 4K HDR for distribution.

“A lot of what we’re doing goes back to the building blocks that we’ve been laying for the last couple of years,” says Brad Cheney, VP, field operations and engineering, Fox Sports. “We’re looking to continue this process and provide the unique visual difference in our postseason coverage.”

Lineup of Mobile Units: NEP Group, Game Creek Video Provide Trucks for NL Side of Bracket

The NLDS field is set for tomorrow with Games 1 beginning in the afternoon. To prepare for the upcoming five-game series, Fox Sports devised two approaches. On the one hand, the broadcaster knew that No. 1 seed Baltimore Orioles and No. 2 seed Houston Astros would be hosting the first two games. On the other, the crew didn’t know the other participating teams until No. 3 seed Minnesota Twins and No. 5 Texas Rangers won their respective matchups on Wednesday night.

NEP ND1 A,B, and C units parked at Baltimore’s Oriole Park at Camden Yards

In Baltimore, NEP ND1 will replace EN2 — which handled the Philadelphia portion of the 2022 NLDS — and Game Creek Video’s Webby and B will head to Houston. For the other locations, the broadcaster will deploy a truck coming from a Wild Card site and one not used in the opening round.

NEP NCP11 will drive 340 miles west from Milwaukee to meet NEP Super B in Minneapolis when Twins–Astros shifts to Target Field. When Game 3 of Orioles–Rangers is played at Globe Life Field in Arlington, TX, Game Creek Video Yogi’s A and B will be in the broadcast compound. For the ALDS and, potentially, the American League Championship Series, Game Creek Video and NEP are familiar with Minute Maid Park in Houston.

“It’s a venue that both mobile-unit providers know pretty well since we’ve been to Houston a lot over our latest nine-year span,” says Cheney. “With ND1 and Yogi being the trucks that take us through the ALCS and into the World Series, we’re excited to have another flagship-level truck with us, and we’ve already started working things out.”

From a logistical standpoint, Fox Sports will have the help of two of the four ALDS venues. With both Minute Maid Park and Globe Life Field having a roof, inclement weather isn’t a factor, and the broadcaster will air at least one game every night. “There’s always a benefit to having that flexibility,” notes Cheney, “especially as we get closer to the winter months.”

Division Series Tech: Coverage To Feature UmpCam, Upgraded Graphics

In Fox Sports’ tech arsenal, the most prominent will be UmpCam. Seen throughout the its regular season and included in tentpole events like this year’s MLB All-Star Game, the wearable camera will once again give viewers a chance to sit behind the plate.

Game Creek Video Webby and B mobile units at Houston’s Minute Maid Park

Creatively, the broadcaster is changing some of its on-screen elements. With the help of the graphics deployed for the ALCS, fans will understand the game in a different way.

“We’ve had conversations with [Fox Sports SVP, Graphic Technology and Integration,] Zac Fields and the graphics team into how we enhance our broadcasts while breaking down what’s going on,” says Cheney. “There’ll be a number of tools coming out throughout the postseason this year on the graphics side to push us forward and tell the story on the field.”

Pace of Play: New MLB Rules Elevate Importance of Super-Slow-Motion Cameras

Armed with its standard playoff-level camera complement, Fox Sports is fully embracing the new MLB rules being implemented in the postseason. After a regular season of adjusting to them, the front bench of both matchups — director Matt Gangl and producer Pete Macheska for one series, director Mitch Riggin and producer Aaron Stojkov for the other — is ready for whatever occurs in the game.

“With the addition of the pitch clock, baseball changed this year,” says Cheney. “It’s a very electric environment when pace of play is involved. It’ll be very fun to see what happens.”

One notable aspect of the game, stolen bases, has accelerated with the integration of a pitch clock. From the first 40-home-run/70-stolen-base season in MLB history achieved by the Braves’ Ronald Acuña to the 3,501 swiped bags in 2023 versus 2,487 in 2022, the use of high-frame-rate cameras has become extremely valuable. In addition to players’ taking a gamble with a stolen-base attempt, plays like Bryce Harper’s score from first in Game 1 of the Wild Card Round will make the technology an essential part of the production.

“They [used to be] very few and far between, and now the possibility [of a stolen base] is a lot higher,” adds Cheney. “It’s about having the coverage, and knowledge of the game, in the right spots. We have a truly amazing crew that provides those shots to all the people watching at home.”

Stay tuned to SVG for more on Fox’s MLB Postseason coverage as the World Series gets closer.