As the 2020 NFL season coming to a close last month with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers knocking off the reigning champion Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV, it capped off a successful playoffs that brought about the first-ever NFL broadcast produced for kids and families.
The Wild Card Game between the Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints not only aired on CBS, but also Nickelodeon. The telecast featured kid-focused content and Nickelodeon-themed elements, including a special halftime presentation, guest reporters and original on-field graphics.
The concept was a hit for younger and older fans alike, including Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher David Price, who enjoyed watching the game with his kids. He specifically cited the cartoon graphics that stood out to him most.
During a recent appearance on MLB Network, Price shared his hope that a similar style of broadcast comes to Major League Baseball as it would go a long way toward gaining new fans:
“There’s definitely a lot of analytics, but I think that’s kind of reaching out to a different type of fan, and that’s cool as well. One thing I would like to see is what NFL did with Nickelodeon. Having Nickelodeon do their broadcast, that was a broadcast I watched with my kids. I know my kids loved it when Michael Thomas scored a touchdown and got slimed. They loved all the goofy graphics, guys having big bug eyes, hearing what players’ favorite foods are, what they used to watch on Nickelodeon. All the different little details like that, I really thought that was cool. It was fun for me to watch that because my kids really enjoyed it.”
MLB has made more of an effort to attract younger fans in recent years, but only so from a rules standpoint. Commissioner Rob Manfred has attempted to shorten games to appeal to the younger demographic, implementing a pitch clock in the Minors with plans to bring it to the big leagues.
While it’s unclear if this strategy will work, Manfred can simply take a page out of the NFL’s playbook and collaborate with a kid-focused network to promote MLB to a wider audience.
MLB reportedly ‘slightly deadened’ baseballs for 2021 season
With a surge in home runs over the past two seasons, MLB reportedly made adjustments to the game balls this year. The league instructed Rawlings to loosen the tension on the first of three wool windings within the ball, which will reduce its weight without changing its size.
MLB acknowledged they expect the changes to be minor and don’t believe it will have any effect on pitcher velocities.
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