They are all the rage. Everybody’s doing them. Some are good and some are well, less than good. I’m talking about alternate broadcasts.
The early iterations of these broadcasts were designed around the College Football National Championship Game. The BCS Megacast was born in 2014, offering fans more than 8 feeds to watch. Disney provided a channel for fans of each team to listen to their home announcers do the game – an incredible idea to capitalize on that specialization. Realizing that not everyone wants to watch the main channel. Turner Sports offered this option during the NCAA Tournament’s Final Four broadcasts.
From that simplicity, the new era of Alternate Broadcasts has begun. Every sport from baseball to Formula 1 racing has jumped on the bandwagon for various reasons. Baseball has it’s “StatCast” to show off the new analytics of the game, for those that are interested. The NBA has alternate broadcasts for the NBA Finals and even some teams have tried them on local broadcasts. Amazon started doing them on their Thursday Night NFL broadcasts.
The gold standard is The ManningCast. It was a huge success. Peyton and Eli Manning co-host the irreverent alternate broadcast, which features guests talking to and watching the Monday Night Football game with the brothers.
It worked and continues to work. Watching the Manning brothers bicker, trade barbs and interview guests is just how these broadcasts should go. But not every show should operate like this one. Each should pick its lane and stay in it from the start of the journey to the end.
I bring this up as The Kay-Rod Cast is set to come back for another run as an alternative to fans tuned into Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN. Yankees TV play-by-play man Michael Kay and former Yankee and polarizing figure, Alex Rodriguez are at the center of the show. Last year was the first for the pairing. It had some success, especially when the duo welcomed Derek Jeter.
Of course, every first season leads to some changes, or improvements to the original idea. For one A-Rod needs to loosen up and embrace his roots as a former Major League Baseball player. Tell me some stories and give me more of a reason to tune in.
With all of that said, it got me thinking about what elements of an alternate broadcast are most important. So, I present to you, the 5 things that help to make up a ‘perfect’ alternate broadcast. These are not in any particular order, but all are critical.
KNOW WHAT YOU ARE
Some shows have the ability to be all things to all people, such as the ESPN MegaCasts I mentioned earlier. The network had the ability to use many different channels to satisfy just about everyone’s needs.
That is the exception, not the rule. Remember, these are “alternate” viewing programs. Give people what they won’t be getting elsewhere. In the case of the Nickelodeon “Slimecast” a few years ago, it was geared towards kids and the parents watching along with them. It never deviated from that plan. It delivered something that was so different that it really worked out well.
Alternate broadcasts need to figure out their lane as mentioned. What are you going to be? An entertainment show like The ManningCast with the game in the background? For the Manning’s that format really fits them.
“Football is always more fun when you watch it with friends,” Peyton told FastCompany in January. “Eli and I get to sit on our couches and watch it together, and the viewers are all of our friends, and the guest is just right there with us. We’re on the couch, we’re at a bar, let’s have a conversation. I may interrupt you if the Bears throw a post-route here, but I want you to come back and finish that story in a minute. That’s how we’re doing it.”
DON’T MIMIC OTHER SHOWS
Just because it works for one, does not mean it’s going to work for others. Don’t exactly mimic other alternate broadcasts and think you’re going to have success. It is a waste of time and money to think that a set of siblings in the NBA could pull off what the Mannings are doing in the NFL.
Depending on the sport being broadcast, it would be stupid to think that one style fits every sport. Baseball moves much slower. Shows like The KayRod Cast need to keep in mind, they’ll likely have more time to fill (even with the pitch clock in place). Plus, viewers don’t watch every sport the same. Baseball fans typically are more stat driven, football fans want stories and so on.
When programming these shows, producers and developers need to keep in mind those differences. Innovate and actually understand your audience’s needs and desires. It will make it easier to figure out a host and content.
HAVE A HOOK/BE DIFFERENT
Networks want their shows to stand out and be different. That requires a good hook. Some of these alternate broadcasts are basically the same show every time. That’s fine, if you can keep the show fresh and continue to evolve and produce excellent content.
Other alternate broadcast channels will feature different elements every time. This certainly keeps the content fresh. The challenge here is make all of the different interesting all the time.
Amazon’s Thursday Night Football worked in an alternate channel featuring Andrea Kremer and Hannah Storm, an all-female cast to appeal to that segment of the audience. Amazon also used the platform to feature former NFL Scouts, showing us how they watch a football game.
Amazon also figured out how to appeal to a younger audience. The guys from Dude Perfect hosted an alternate broadcast featuring video of them doing challenges and attempting world record tricks in between plays.
ESPN’s “StatCast” broadcast appeals to the geeks, and I use that term with great fondness for those that are really, really into the new numbers of baseball. It’s like watching baseball as a college class in stats. But the teacher is giving you all the answers, right there on your television screen. I was a part of some of the early iterations of this show, and there is a ton of prep work that goes into this one and the uniqueness makes it stand out.
BE ENTERTAINING
Isn’t this the reason I’m ditching the main broadcast and turning on this alternative broadcast in the first place? I’m watching your broadcast probably because I don’t have a real rooting interest in the teams that are playing, but I still want to watch. That means your presentation has to keep my attention, show me some of the game action and maybe teach me something that I didn’t know already.
These alternate broadcasts provide an opportunity for networks to step out of their comfort zones and try some things that can appeal to those that aren’t hard core fans. Make them fans by the way you present the game and then add to the experience making them want to come back.
Relate to the audience and understand their needs and wants. Adapt to that and give them something they aren’t going to see by watching only the main channel broadcast. Whether it be graphics constantly on the screen, video roll ins or quality interviews, make this happen. It is vital in attracting, keeping and growing of your audience.
PERSONALITY RULES
Finally, it’s all about the right personalities hosting or being featured on your shows. Personality is kind of a catch all. Find big names. They could be the difference in whether someone watches or doesn’t.
That could go a couple of different ways too. The Manning’s are the “All-American” types that draw people in because of their likability. They are unintentionally funny at times, but relatable. Easy to watch.
But that’s not the only route to go. Controversial and polarizing can work as well. If you are a fan of the movie Private Parts you understand what I’m talking about. The scene in which research showed that people that hated Howard Stern listened longer than those that loved was a head scratcher to the program director. When asked “if they hate him, why do they listen?” The response was “They wanted to hear what he’d say next.” Makes sense, right?
That theory is why shows that include Alex Rodriguez and Bill Walton to name a few actually work. Say what you want, they are “personalities” and have serious credentials to back them up. They both had tremendous careers and have moved into the media and developed personas of their own. Walton is the eccentric “Deadhead” with a wild vocabulary and is legendary for his rants that usually, ok always, have nothing to do with the sport he’s covering. A-Rod is trying to rebuild his reputation after some ‘issues’ during his career. Like either of them or not, they are draws and a reason to watch. Producers need to be cognizant and put both of them in positions that make them succeed.
Happy alternate viewing. I can’t wait to see what might be coming next.
Andy Masur is a columnist for BSM and works for WGN Radio as an anchor and play-by-play announcer. He also teaches broadcasting at the Illinois Media School. During his career he has called games for the Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres and Chicago White Sox. He can be found on Twitter @Andy_Masur1 or you can reach him by email at Andy@Andy-Masur.com.
