Many sports networks stepped up their airing of classic games in recent weeks as live sporting events remain on hold during the COVID-19 pandemic, Yankees Classics have been a staple for the YES Network since 2002.
One of the first pieces of programming the YES Network offered when launching 18 years ago was classic rebroadcasts. After the start of the 2020 Major League Baseball season was postponed, YES wanted to spin their standard offering of Yankees Classics into something more. At first, it started by having YES announcers and former players live-tweet during a rebroadcast, but now those Yankees Classics include new commentary.
YES Network coordinating producer Jared Boshnack told Sports Video Group they used Zoom to feature new clips from David Cone and Paul O’Neill, recording their commentary and integrating it into the rebroadcast. An upcoming installment of Yankees Classics will include Mariano Rivera giving a first-person account of his final appearance as a starting pitcher in 1995.
“We’re all in it together and are trying things and hopefully they work,” Boshnack said. “The biggest thing we can do is use our creativity and push the boundaries of technology.”
It’s a similar concept to the old VH1 Pop-Up Videos, enhance a piece of content with new engagements and information. But instead of a simple pop-up bubble, YES adds video of players and broadcasters discussing the events.
