Eagles Players Mic'd Up at the NLCS
The 6th Annual Awards
- Best Short-Form Video
ABOUT THIS ENTRY
As part of TNT Sports’ MLB Postseason coverage in Philadelphia, Bleacher Report took Eagles players D’Andre Swift and Terrell Edmunds to their first ever MLB game and mic’d them up as they took in the action from the best seats in the house.
How does this represent “Excellence in Engagement”?
This concept sets a new benchmark in cross-sports content. By bringing two sets of athletes together in an authentic way, we can engage multiple groups of sports fans at once, and ultimately, bring more attention to leagues and sports that may be overlooked by a certain demographic of sports fans. Moving forward, this work will also inspire more brands to highlight the excitement around the sport rather than just the action happening on the field of play. We’ve already seen multiple other brands begin to mic up celebrities and other spectators at games to highlight the fan experience. Internally, this concept has pushed us to brainstorm more unique mic’d up experiences in the sports world, outside of just the players on the field.
Objective
Going into the 2023 MLB Postseason, Bleacher Report was looking for a strong social-first concept to support TNT Sports’ coverage of the NLCS. Our goal was to create baseball content that would resonate with Bleacher Report’s general sports audience to drive increased attention to the MLB Postseason. We’d seen the success of mic’d up content with athletes in-game and wanted to take that same authentic mic’d up experience, but instead apply it to the sports spectator. We’d previously tried a similar execution during the NBA Playoffs and were excited to see how this concept would transition to baseball, specifically highlighting the incredible ballpark atmosphere during the postseason. We also wanted to show off the incredible skill of professional baseball players and show off cross-sport fandom among athletes. Seeing football players in awe at a 99mph fastball and marveling at how long the baseball season is really drives home the respect professional athletes have for one another.
Strategy & Execution
The modern sports fan values authenticity, so we wanted to create an environment where Terrell and D’Andre could truly be their authentic selves. Keeping the production at a distance with a long lens camera not only gives the viewer the perspective that they’re listening in on an intimate conversation, but it also allows the talent to forget they’re on camera. They don’t feel pressure to “perform” which fosters authentic reactions to the great game in front of them. The modern fan also wants opportunities to relate to their favorite athlete and what better way to do this than by literally placing the athlete in the role of fan. We could have placed them in a suite, and had a more controlled production environment, but placing them in seats surrounded by other fans made their experience more relatable. We intentionally chose athletes from another sport (NFL) to send to this game, rather than sending an MLB legend or other celebrity baseball fan. This “fish out of water” pairing made baseball accessible to general sports fans who don’t follow baseball closely, and it provided a forum for baseball fans to celebrate the growth of the sport by welcoming in these new fans.
Organizations
- Bleacher Report
- TNT Sports
Links
Credits
Louise Chouinard
Senior Producer, Field Content
Bleacher Report
Andrew Moore
Director of Photography
Bleacher Report
Matthew Mansfield
Editor
Bleacher Report
Alberto Leon
Audio Operator
Bleacher Report
Sean McManus
Director, Production Management
TNT Sports
Chandler Traub
Creative Strategist
TNT Sports
Celebrate in NYC
Join us for the 6th Annual Hashtag Sports Awards™ on the evening of June 6, 2024 as we celebrate finalists and reveal the winners of this year's awards live during the show.
