MLB Network set to launch on New Year’s
Friday, December 26, 2008 9:09 PM PST
SECAUCUS, N.J. (AP) — The Mariners could be lurching toward a 101-loss season as they were late last summer and Harold Reynolds would still want his game highlights.
Seattle’s former All-Star second baseman figures many fans are like him, loyal to their favorite team whether it’s in first place or last, and hankering to see what happened each night.
The MLB Network is set to launch Jan. 1, and it might seem that a 24-hour channel is aimed at fans who passionately follow the league.
But as their numbers dwindle, they aren’t the viewers president and CEO Tony Petitti is relying on to sustain the network.
The reality of TV sports today is that World Series ratings fluctuate greatly from year to year depending on who’s playing.
Still, many teams draw large audiences in their home markets.
So while the MLB Network is national, Petitti likes to think of it as a conglomeration of regional interests.
‘‘We want to complement the way fans watch their local team,’’ Petitti said.
For the first year, the network will be more focused on highlights and analysis than live games.
It will air only 26 regular-season matchups, but will broadcast an eight-hour highlight show six nights a week.
Matt Vasgersian and Victor Rojas will serve as hosts, with former players Reynolds, Al Leiter, Joe Magrane and Dan Plesac as analysts.
Petitti hopes that fans seeking an update on a particular game will learn to automatically flip to MLB Network, confident they will be quickly rewarded. The network will be able to do live look-ins and highlights while the game is still going on.
It’s also clear the new network seeks to capitalize on the perception that ESPN spends most of its time focusing on a few teams.
Pennant chases and major controversies will get plenty of coverage, of course, but fans of every team can expect regular and complete highlights no matter how small the club’s market or poor its record.
MLB Network will initially be available in about 50 million of the country’s approximately 114.5 million homes with televisions, through deals with DirecTV and major cable companies.
That’s the most households in which a new cable channel has ever made its debut.
The network will launch at 6 p.m. EST on New Year’s Day with an edition of ‘‘Hot Stove,’’ its offseason studio show.
