Sunday Night Baseball is changing the usual rhythm again, and Phillies fans might feel it before the first pitch.
John Kruk—yes, the entertaining Phillies announcer people actually look forward to—will be in the booth when Philadelphia hosts the Atlanta Braves on Sunday Night Baseball. Misryoum newsroom reported that the game will air on Peacock and the recently relaunched NBCSN, not the standard channel local viewers might expect, because NBC is devoting Sunday to the first round of the NBA playoffs.
There’s a lot of business machinery behind that sentence, but the effect is simple: fewer chances to hear the home-team voice. The broader setup is tied to NBC’s takeover of MLB’s Sunday-night package from ESPN this season, under the league’s new three-year media rights deals. Misryoum editorial desk noted that while Jason Benetti is the voice of NBC’s Sunday Night Baseball, the network opted against a regular analyst. Instead, it’s a rotating group of announcers linked to the teams playing—partly, Misryoum analysis indicates, to keep local fans from feeling shut out during national broadcasts.
Misryoum newsroom reported that Sam Flood, NBC’s executive producer and president of production, explained the strategy as the best way to know what’s going on “inside each clubhouse, on the field … and what matters most to those fans.” That pitch makes sense. Actually, it does—because a broadcast isn’t just information, it’s atmosphere. You can almost hear it already: the cadence, the little reactions. During the Monday win over the Chicago Cubs, Kruk was on point again, including a moment that later landed like a prediction that didn’t miss.
In the first inning on Monday, with Kyle Schwarber at the plate, Tom McCarthy pointed out the Cubs have five Gold Glove winners on defense. Kruk noted there were none in the seats at Citizens Bank Park, hinting Schwarber would send the ball there. Schwarber then did exactly that—next pitch, center-field seats. I don’t know if the sound of a ball finding its mark ever gets old, but that day… it probably didn’t help anyone’s nerves, not even the most patient fan.
And Kruk won’t be alone. Misryoum newsroom reported that joining Benetti and Kruk in the booth will be C.J. Nitkowski, a former MLB pitcher who calls Braves games on BravesVision. Meanwhile, the Sunday-night shuffling is only the beginning of the bigger sports broadcasting conversation, because the playoffs—especially the NBA—are now pushing local networks further to the edges.
Flyers fans, at least, have something else to talk about. The Flyers officially ended their six-season playoff drought Monday night, punching their postseason ticket in overtime with a 3-2 shootout victory against the Carolina Hurricanes. While the NHL hasn’t announced when the Flyers’ first-round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins will begin, Misryoum editorial desk noted NBC Sports Philadelphia will broadcast the games, which also will air nationally on ESPN or TNT.
The Sixers story doesn’t match that optimism. They will clinch a spot in the NBA playoffs with a win in Wednesday night’s play-in game against the Orlando Magic on Amazon’s Prime Video. In previous years, NBC Sports Philadelphia could air the first round of the NBA playoffs, which also broadcast nationally on ESPN and TNT—but this is the first year of the NBA’s 11-year, $76 billion media rights deals with NBC, ESPN, and Amazon. Regional sports networks like NBC Sports Philadelphia have been squeezed out of broadcasting the playoffs. Veteran announcer Mike Breen called it “a poor decision,” saying fans want to hear their home team announcers, at least in the first round, describing them as part of the family. Misryoum newsroom reported his argument in the exact spirit it landed: networks pay a fortune for exclusivity, sure—just don’t forget what fans come for.
Misryoum newsroom reported one key detail behind the curtain: the NBA reserved the right to yank first-round playoff games off local networks like NBC Sports Philadelphia, which didn’t sign a new deal ceding those exclusive rights to national networks. Misryoum analysis indicates the collapse of many regional sports networks across the country also factored into the decision. Even without airing the game, NBC Sports Philadelphia will have pre- and postgame Sixers coverage beginning at 7 p.m. Wednesday—like a consolation prize, but still better than nothing.
Quick hits from the sports business churn: NFL sideline reporter Dianna Russini has resigned from The Athletic less than a week after published photos of her and New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel at an Arizona resort prompted an internal investigation at The New York Times-owned sports outlet. Misryoum newsroom reported that The New York Post last week published the photos of Vrabel and Russini at the Sedona hotel and said they were taken before the NFL owners meetings that began in Phoenix on March 29.
One impact Misryoum editorial desk noted: fans on social media looked back at Russini’s prior reporting. For example, Russini offered a detailed report of what happened when the league’s competition committee voted against banning the Tush Push last year, citing “one high-ranking league source” who described Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie as being “crude” and like “a guy trying to convince his girlfriend why she shouldn’t leave him.” Vrabel was among the committee members in the room. Other than a short statement claiming the photos showed “a completely innocent interaction,” Vrabel has remained quiet about the incident and didn’t attend a pre-NFL draft availability with Patriots reporters on Monday. He isn’t expected to speak to reporters until the NFL draft next week in Pittsburgh—unless sports broadcasting chaos finds a way to sprint ahead again.
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