SVG All-Stars: Kendall Burgess, as VP, Local Media Technical Operations, Major League Baseball

After 20 years in the business, she is a stalwart in regional sports production

In an era when sports production is evolving faster than ever, a new generation of leaders is beginning to make its mark on the industry. Our new SVG All-Stars series explores the journey of the industry’s rising executives, showcasing their experiences and career highlights in the business, overarching philosophy and leadership strategy, technological and creative innovation, and where they see the industry headed. Join us as we uncover the story behind their ascent and the impact they are having in an ever-evolving industry.

Kendall Burgess has more than two decades of experience in the sports-broadcasting industry and has made a name for herself as one of the stalwarts of the regional-sports-production sector.

In 2023, as seismic change began to shake up the regional-sports-rights landscape, Major League Baseball launched its own Local Media department to help navigate the changing industry. Today, MLB Local Media Department is responsible for all regional game broadcasts for the San Diego Padres, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Colorado Rockies and oversees broadcasts for the new national Roku MLB Sunday Leadoff package.

Kendall Burgess: “The exciting things happening [don’t] necessarily have an on-air impact, but they can make your workflows more efficient and might even save money that you can spend to enhance your broadcasts.”

Prior to joining MLB Local Media, she was VP, technical operations, Bally Sports, working with production and engineering to provide direction for the 19 Bally Sports regional networks across the country, which produce more than 4,500 sports events annually. She shares her story, her philosophy, and advice for getting into the industry:

What is one key industry trend that you believe is having a major impact on your organization right now?
I believe there are several exciting things happening, with variations on centralized and cloud-based equipment integration. These aren’t necessarily the things that have an on-air impact, but they can make your workflows more efficient and/or add equipment redundancy for backup purposes. Some of these systems might even save money so you can spend on the flashy things that enhance your broadcasts.

What is one core philosophy you try to live by when managing your team/operation?
Communicate, communicate, communicate. And then, when you think you have been thorough, communicate again. Operations is ultimately responsible for thousands of details in a live production, and all of them are important to the success of the broadcast.

What is your favorite event(s) you’ve ever worked?
In my current role, my favorite event was our first-ever MLB Local Media game with the Padres in Miami on May 31, 2023. Along with many talented people at the league office and MLB Network, we set up an entirely new system to produce these games in a very short time. It was extremely rewarding to finally get on the air and see all that hard work pay off.

How did you get started in sports production? What was your first real job in the business?
The summer before my senior year in journalism school at UGA, I interned at FOX Sports South in Atlanta. That summer, I took every opportunity I could find to learn about the business, including my first-ever visit to a production truck, where I was hooked right away. After graduation, they hired me back, and I stayed with that company in various capacities for over 20 years. I loved working in production at the beginning of my career, but, in some ways, I feel like my first “real” job was when I moved over to operations in 2004 because that became my career focus.

What’s one piece of advice you have for someone just starting their career in this industry?
This business is incredibly small, so your relationships and your reputation are everything. The people in our industry are what makes it so special. Always try to be kind and work hard (in that order).