In a sign of the times, the Detroit Tigers are scaling back parts of its live programming.
The MLB club, whose games will air on FanDuel Sports Network Detroit after the sides reached a new agreement in November, will eliminate most pregame and postgame shows during West Coast road trips to cut costs, per a report by Tony Paul in The Detroit News.
The team reportedly cited the decreased viewership caused by late-night starts and finishes as the determining factor to nix the shoulder programming. As Paul writes, “Those shows are being deemed not worth the cost.” However, FanDuel Sports Network Detroit will continue to produce 30-minute pregame and postgame shows for most games throughout the season.
Per Paul, “When the Tigers do have pregame and postgame shows, they are expected to be hosted by either Daniella Bruce or a yet-to-be-hired addition to the broadcast.” Whoever does not host the studio show will serve in a on-field reporter role for that game. Bruce or the yet-to-be-hired talent will replace longtime host John Keating, who will retire after the Detroit Red Wings complete their season.
Renowned play-by-play announcer Jason Benetti will also return for his second year in Detroit after leaving the Chicago White Sox booth before last season. He’ll be joined by Andy Dirks and Dan Petry, the team announced Wednesday.
It’s no surprise that the Tigers are finding ways to cut costs. Under its new deal with FanDuel Sports Network, the team is reportedly reducing annual media rights fees by $25 million. They’re far from the only franchise cutting back on shoulder programming amid upheaval in the regional sports network business.
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.