The first Major League Baseball game to be live streamed on Facebook was bogged down by a 97-minute rain delay and a learning curve but also showed a willingness to listen and adapt — even mid-game.
Last season, MLB streamed games on Facebook and Twitter that were simulcasts of regional broadcasts — Twitter will be doing the same again this year — but Wednesday’s Mets-Phillies matinee was the first game purposefully and exclusively produced for a digital platform. MLB Network produced the feed. MLB and Facebook both emphasized a willingness to adapt and improve each week on a partnership that will include 25 weekday afternoon games this season.
Many fans expressed displeasure at the Facebook feed, sharing comments that ran either alongside or even across the viewing screen depending on how one watched. Fan bases in New York and Philadelphia are notoriously opinionated, which shone through in the feed, although many of the remarks were hopelessly off-topic. Those comments could easily be turned off, however, owing to a need to educate viewers on the features of the Facebook Watch platform that only debuted last year. Play-by-play broadcaster Scott Braun made periodic reminders informing viewers of this, and MLB later pinned a comment to the post.
Other fans griped about needing an account to watch the game (more than 1 billion people use Facebook) or, for many, having to watch on a smaller screen such as a mobile device or laptop rather than a flat-screen at home. A 1 p.m. local start time meant many folks would have been in offices anyway. Knowing that most viewers would be using smaller screens, MLB Network used tighter camera angles and larger graphics. When some fans complained the scoreboard bug was too big, the production crew shrank it midway through the game.
One very positive absence: commercials. Between innings, the stream remained with the production for additional conversation, including dugout reporter Alexa Datt asking questions of beat reporters for each team. The scheduled two-minute, five-second break becomes a blank canvas for original content, just as so much of the game production can take on new presentations without being hamstrung by the convention of linear television.
There were 4.3 million views of the game lasting at least three seconds (including live and on-demand), 1.2 million reactions (thumbs up, smiles or frowns) and more than 68,000 comments. Concurrent viewership appeared to peak around 85,000 with most of the game averaging between 75,000 and 80,000.
“Today marked a historic and important step as we experiment with new platforms for fans to watch games,” an MLB spokesperson said. “Our fans provided great feedback throughout their experiences today, which will continue to help us as we present these social-first broadcasts on Facebook each week.”
The vision behind Facebook Watch sports broadcasts is to replicate the social camaraderie inherent in the viewing experience for most sports fans, whether at a game, in a bar or on the couch. During a Wyoming college football game last fall, the father of a cheerleader watching while stationed overseas with the Army requested to see his daughter on screen, resulting in a heartfelt interview.
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The weekly baseball games are accessible for international Facebook users just Wednesday’s was for those in the U.S. During yesterday’s game, MLB briefly pinned a comment from a fan in Guatemala, and the broadcast crew gave a shoutout to a fan who said he was watching from a boat in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
“We’re still in the early days of having live sports on Facebook Watch and are learning with every broadcast we have on the platform,” a Facebook spokesperson said. “Fortunately, we have a great partner in Major League Baseball innovating on our platform and listening to feedback from fans to adjust the broadcast in real-time. Our goal is to give fans a great viewing experience — and we’ll continue to listen to them and work closely with MLB to build on this first game.”
For this game, play-by-play announcer Braun hosted a booth with former players and veteran TV analysts John Kruk and Cliff Floyd (a former Phillie and former Met, respectively), with MLB Network’s Datt. The broadcast assignments are all subject to change, but next week’s Brewers-Cardinals game is scheduled to have Braun on play-by-play with MLB Network’s Dan Plesac (former Brewer) and Joe Magrane (former Cardinal) in the booth and St. Louis-area broadcaster Hanna Yates as in the in-game reporter.
The network had a dedicated social media producer in the truck monitoring commentary and suggesting talking points for the booth. Viewer questions were sometimes used, such as a fan inquiring about why Phillies rookie Scott Kingery wasn’t playing.
The median age of MLB fans watching on television may be in the mid-50s, but that demographic for the MLB At Bat app is around 30. This Facebook initiative is part of a continued effort to attract younger fans and reach them where they are.
Remaining April and May games on Facebook:
Wednesday, April 11 — Milwaukee Brewers vs. St. Louis Cardinals, 1:15 p.m. ET
Wednesday, April 18 — Kansas City Royals vs. Toronto Blue Jays, 4:07 p.m. ET
Thursday, April 26 — Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Philadelphia Phillies, 1:05 p.m. ET
Thursday, May 3 — Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Arizona Diamondbacks, 3:40 p.m. ET
Thursday, May 10 — Giants v. Phillies, 1:05 p.m. ET
Wednesday, May 16 — Rangers v. Mariners, 3:40 p.m. ET
Thursday, May 24 — Angels v. Blue Jays, 12:37 p.m. ET
Wednesday, May 30 — Cardinals v. Brewers, 1:10 p.m. ET