TBS is prepping for the MLB Postseason. In the past, it would air both Wild Card games, all four League Division Series and one League Championship Series. Under the new MLB contract which took effect this season, TBS will now air just one Wild Card game, two League Division Series and one LCS.
Starting this season, it will alternate leagues with ESPN and Fox. This season, TBS will air the American League while ESPN airs the National League Wild Card Game and Fox/Fox Sports 1 will take the National League.
Overall, TBS will have 11-18 postseason games as opposed to the past when it could air up to 29 playoff games.
It all begins Tuesday when TBS televises the AL Wild Card Game between Oakland and Kansas City. Ernie Johnson, Ron Darling and Cal Ripken will be in the booth for the game. Matt Winer will be the on-field reporter.
And starting Thursday, TBS begins coverage of the ALDS. EJ, Darling, Ripken and Winer will head to Anaheim as the Angels will host the Wild Card winner and will cover that series to its conclusion. Brian Anderson will the play-by-play man for the Detroit Tigers-Baltimore Orioles series and he’ll be joined by analysts Dennis Eckersley and Joe Simpson. The reporter will be Jaime Maggio.
In the studio for TBS will be Casey Stern, Pedro Martinez and Gary Sheffield.
All games will be streamed on the WatchTBS app for authenicated cable and satellite subscribers. TBS’ games will also be streamed for the first time on the MLB At-Bat app and viewers can see up to 10 different camera angles.
Here’s the TBS announcement.
TBS to be Exclusive Home of the American League Throughout 2014 MLB Postseason Beginning with A.L. Wild Card Game on Tuesday, Sept. 30, at 8 p.m. ET
Live Streaming for Every TBS MLB Postseason Game Available Via Watch TBS App
Turner Sports’ Postseason Game Coverage to Include Use of 6X Super Slow Motion Cameras for First Time
Facebook & Turner Sports Collaborate for Exclusive Social Media Content IntegrationTBS will be the exclusive home of the American League throughout the 2014 MLB Postseason beginning with the presentation of the 2014 A.L. Wild Card when the Kansas City Royals and Alex Gordon host the Oakland Athletics and Josh Donaldson on Tuesday, Sept. 30, at 8 p.m. ET. Sports Emmy Award winning commentator Ernie Johnson will provide play-by-play for the game with analysts Ron Darling and Cal Ripken and reporter Matt Winer. Pregame coverage will begin at 7:30 p.m. with the MLB Postseason Pre-Game on TBS show hosted by Casey Stern with analysts Pedro Martinez and Gary Sheffield.
The network’s exclusive American League Division Series (ALDS) coverage will begin Thursday, Oct. 2, with the Detroit Tigers and Miguel Cabrera visiting the Baltimore Orioles and Adam Jones (time TBD), along with the Anaheim Angels and Mike Trout hosting the winner of the A.L. Wild Card Game (time TBD). Brian Anderson will call the best-of-five Tigers/Orioles series with analysts Dennis Eckersley and Joe Simpson and reporter Jaime Maggio. Johnson will provide play-by-play for the Angels vs. Athletics/Royals series with Darling, Ripken and Winer.
Additionally, reporters David Aldridge and Rachel Nichols will contribute to the network’s MLB Postseason coverage, covering the National League Division Series. The full ALDS schedule is listed below.
TBS will also exclusively televise the American League Championship Series, scheduled to begin Friday, Oct. 10, with Game 1 of the best-of-seven series. Live streaming coverage of all MLB Postseason games airing on TBS will be available via www.tbs.com and the Watch TBS app. Fans will be able to access the games whenever and wherever they desire by logging in with the user name and password provided by their TV service provider.
The network’s coverage of the 2014 MLB Postseason will include:
- 6X Cameras – with the ability to replay various speeds from a single camera angle and capturing six times the amount of slow motion than the normal replay device, 6X Cameras will provide viewers with gripping super slow motion replays during key moments of the game. Each TBS MLB Postseason game telecast will utilize four 6X Cameras.
- Super Slo Mo Cameras – in addition to the four 6X Cameras at every game, TBS will deploy two Super Slo Mo cameras during the ALCS.
- Chevrolet Pitch Trax– the on-screen graphic will be used to show pitch location and type, while also illustrating other variables such as a swinging strike vs. being caught looking. It is also able to display a hitter’s batting history against a specific pitcher.
Facebook Integration
In a first for both entities, Facebook will partner with Turner Sports throughout its MLB Postseason coverage. The social media company will work closely with the TBS studio production team – including being embedded in the TBS control room in Atlanta during the opening week of the postseason – providing Facebook and Instagram content in real-time to best support on-air social integrations. Content will include fan maps, polls and fan profiles for each team participating in the postseason.
Following is the TBS MLB Postseason schedule for the opening week:
Date Time (ET) Games/Commentator Teams Tuesday, Sept. 30 7:30 p.m. MLB Postseason Pre-Game on TBS
Casey Stern (host), Pedro Martinez and Gary Sheffield (analysts)8 p.m. A.L. Wild Card Game: Oakland Athletics at Kansas City Royals
Ernie Johnson (play-by-play), Ron Darling and Cal Ripken (analysts) with Matt Winer (reporter)Postgame The Postseason Show
Casey Stern, Pedro Martinez, Gary SheffieldThursday, Oct. 2 TBD MLB Postseason Pre-Game on TBS
Casey Stern, Pedro Martinez, Gary SheffieldTBD ALDS: Detroit Tigers at Baltimore Orioles (Game 1)
Brian Anderson (play-by-play), Dennis Eckersley and Joe Simpson (analysts) with Jaime Maggio (reporter)TBD ALDS: A.L. Wild Card Winner at Anaheim Angels (Game 1)
Ernie Johnson, Ron Darling and Cal Ripken with Matt WinerPostgame The Postseason Show
Casey Stern, Pedro Martinez, Gary SheffieldFriday, Oct. 3 TBD MLB Postseason Pre-Game on TBS
Casey Stern, Pedro Martinez, Gary SheffieldTBD ALDS: Tigers at Orioles (Game 2)
Brian Anderson, Dennis Eckersley and Joe Simpson with Jaime MaggioTBD ALDS: A.L. Wild Card Winner at Angels (Game 2)
Ernie Johnson, Ron Darling and Cal Ripken with Matt WinerPostgame The Postseason Show
Casey Stern, Pedro Martinez, Gary SheffieldSunday, Oct. 5 TBD MLB Postseason Pre-Game on TBS
Casey Stern, Pedro Martinez, Gary SheffieldTBD ALDS: Angels at A.L. Wild Card Winner (Game 3)
Ernie Johnson, Ron Darling and Cal Ripken with Matt WinerTBD ALDS: Orioles at Tigers (Game 3)
Brian Anderson, Dennis Eckersley and Joe Simpson with Jaime MaggioPostgame The Postseason Show
Stern, Martinez, SheffieldPostseason.TV Returns for 2014 MLB Postseason
In addition to its exclusive live game telecasts, Turner Sports will team with MLB Advanced Media to bring fans up to 10 live alternative camera angles via Postseason.TV. A digital companion product, Postseason.TV is available for every game televised by TBS allowing fans to customize their viewing experience. Postseason.TV is accessible via broadband and mobile through MLB.com’s At Bat 14 app for smartphones and tablets. Subscribers can watch one camera angle or view up to four different cameras simultaneously through a mosaic display.
And that will do it. I’ll have Fox’s announcement about the National League when it becomes available.
