In the wide world of sports, creator-led broadcasts are trending up.
Just days after Amazon revealed that the guys from Dude Perfect will host their own NFL broadcast, another video platform has made a deal with a major sports league and a group of creators. On August 17, YouTube‘s coverage of an MLB game between the Seattle Mariners and the Los Angeles Angels will include an alternative stream. On that broadcast, creators like Katie Feeney and Jack ‘CouRage’ Dunlop will make guest appearances alongside tastemakers from the music, food, and fashion industries.
The tilt between the Mariners and Angels is part of YouTube’s regularly-scheduled slate. Since 2019, the video platform has delivered some exclusive broadcasts of MLB action, and those streams typically occur on Wednesdays. This time around, viewers will have a new way to take in YouTube’s game of the week. The alternate broadcast, hosted by commentators Lauren Gardner and Cameron Maybin, will be “influencer-driven,” according to a press release from the MLB.
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So which creators will come on board to talk some baseball? One of the confirmed guests is no surprise: Feeney, who is big on YouTube Shorts, has represented her home platform at several major sporting events. During the most recent MLB All-Star Weekend, Feeney served as YouTube’s official correspondent. In that role, she delivered Shorts that captured the action both on and off the field.
Compared to Feeney, Dunlop is less known for his sports broadcasting skills. But the top gamer, who is also a co-owner of the entertainment company 100 Thieves, is a true diamond aficionado. Last year, he took in a game at Yankee Stadium and got to hang out with the stars of Jomboy Media, a popular YouTube channel.
Hello again, @Yankees!
Finally met the legends @Jomboy_ and @TalkinJake!
Also, got my first EVER Major League Baseball. I’m HYPED. pic.twitter.com/SLke9W4DIW
— Jack “CouRage” Dunlop (@CouRageJD) September 22, 2021
Other confirmed guests include comedian Joel McHale, chef Matt Abdoo, and TikToker Lacey Jane Brown. Their appearances on the broadcast will include “fun conversations and activities,” according to the release. That sounds a little less Xs-and-Os driven than the ESPN Manningcasts that took the NFL last season, so it’s safe to say that the scope of alternative sports broadcasts is expanding. Traditional commentary teams better watch out.
