MLB Network and Fantasy Baseball

[Greg Ambrosius]

Is it just me or is anyone else surprised by the lack of fantasy baseball coverage on the MLB Network. I'm not trying to be critical because I love the MLB Network, but I'm surprised by the almost "try to stay away from fantasy baseball" aspect on the MLB Network.

You don't see that on the other league-owned networks. The NFL does the best of the league-owned networks in covering fantasy sports. Michael Fabiano writes a lot of fantasy football columns on NFL.com and he appears regularly on the network's morning show NFL AM. Fantasy football is talked about often on the NFL Network. Even the NBA Network has fantasy basketball segments with Brandon Funston of Yahoo.com.

The MLB Network has a nice 1-hour show each morning called Quick Pitch. It shows all of the baseball highlights from the day before. It runs several times in the morning, but there is never a mention about fantasy baseball. Meanwhile, the NFL Network has a 4-hour morning show during its regular season and several mentions each day about fantasy football. Fabiano is on each day with a fantasy football segment.

I understand in the grand scheme of things, fantasy baseball may be a small part of MLB's audience, so I understand why a full show for fantasy enthusiasts isn't airing yet. Heck, even the NFL Network has stayed away from a full fantasy football show. But you'd think it would be easy to do fantasy baseball segments during a highlights show and even draw in more attention to the network if those fantasy tidbits were presented by a beautiful young lady!! Just sayin'. And don't tell me it's too niche of an audience because MLB Network did just create an analytics show for the SABR crowd involving Harold Reynolds and Brian Kinney.

Fantasy baseball just seems like a natural fit for MLB Network, but it's not there yet. Hopefully in future years it will come.

And yes I miss Fantasy411 on the MLB Network. I thought our own Cory Schwartz and Nando did a great job on that show and seeing it at 1 pm CT each day was cool. MLB Network chose not to air that show starting last year and now it can only be found on MLB.com. It would be cool to see something like that again on the MLB Network.

Just my two cents as I watch Quick Pitch and wait for a fantasy segment...

[CASS]

The 411 was excellent content/analysis by Cory and the boys. Was a real shame they pulled it. You're better off putting it on mute now vs listen to Mitch W...I feel dumber when he speaks. Kinney is great and needs more air time.

[Daveclum]

The people that run MLB have nothing but disdain for fantasy baseball.

[Greg Ambrosius]

The people that run MLB have nothing but disdain for fantasy baseball.

If that's the case then hopefully time will heal all wounds because fantasy baseball isn't going away and neither is the MLB Network. There's no doubt that one day there will be a Fantasy Baseball Hour on MLB Network and I will take great pleasure in watching it from my nursing home. But both are growth engines and both will eventually be combined on TV.

[Sack]

Greg:

Considering how far the NFBC has come since inception and the partner power you've generated with
STATS why not take this plea ( a strong one ) to MLB Network with a phone call or a letter yourself?

Why not touch base with Cory for some insight about MLB Network and reach out to the right people that operate things. You have the resources and
the personalities at your disposal right now with THE best fantasy players in the world from the NFBC to bring quality insight
in a marketplace that NEEDS this type of show. I think you could pull it off.

I'm sure Dave Clum knows better than myself in this area, but all they can do is say no.

[Greg Ambrosius]

Greg:

Considering how far the NFBC has come since inception and the partner power you've generated with
STATS why not take this plea ( a strong one ) to MLB Network with a phone call or a letter yourself?

Why not touch base with Cory for some insight about MLB Network and reach out to the right people that operate things. You have the resources and
the personalities at your disposal right now with THE best fantasy players in the world from the NFBC to bring quality insight
in a marketplace that NEEDS this type of show. I think you could pull it off.

I'm sure Dave Clum knows better than myself in this area, but all they can do is say no.

Sack, I actually did reach out to Cory and to the MLB Network in the last week because I'm in charge of a Broadcast Panel at the June 12-13 FSTA Trade Conference in Chicago. The goal of this panel is to look at how far fantasy sports has come on TV/radio and to show the industry what the future holds. Matthew Berry of ESPN is going to moderate the panel and we have Nate Ravitz of ESPN on the panel along with Michael Fabiano of the NFL Network and Matt Deutsch of SiriusXM Fantasy Channel. The NBA Network would like to be on the panel because they do have some fantasy features that include Brandon Funston of Yahoo.com on the air, but with the NBA Playoffs in full swing we're struggling to get an exec to appear. But it should be a good, good panel and I'm looking forward to learning what the future holds for this space.

The MLB Network doesn't have any fantasy coverage on the air, so they turned down our invitation. Fantasy411 with Cory has been on MLB.com for the last two years and even when it was on MLB Network it was produced by MLB.com. MLB Network now produces all of their own shows and they chose not to continue with Fantasy411. So without anything on the air, it made sense for MLBN not to be on the panel.

I do think that MLB Network will see a reason to add a fantasy baseball show some day. We're also going to see other outlets cater to this growing crowd. Fox Sports 1 is a new all-sports network that is debuting in August and it would make sense for FS1 to have some fantasy programming. They don't have all of their plans finalized yet, so they aren't on the panel. NBC Sports Network is evolving and again it would make sense for NBC to maybe add fantasy content in the future, more likely with fantasy football because of their Sunday Night Football game. And CBS Sports Network is in a similar boat and looking for an audience. Fantasy sports dedicated shows make sense for all of these sports networks...at some point.

That's the basis of the panel. Matthew can show folks that his Sunday morning Fantasy Football Now show is the highest rated show on ESPN2 for two straight years. ESPN has more fantasy coverage than any other network. If ESPN gets it, then it's just a matter of time before the other networks get it. And what the NFL Network is doing in the mornings with Fabiano is what MLB Network and the NBA Network will soon be doing. You can integrate fantasy sports coverage into real news without anyone being offended if it's done right.

I'm on it Sack. I was just wondering if anyone else was as surprised as I was at the lack of fantasy coverage so far. I think others do agree.