Fox Sports' group of RSNs has started a youth baseball fan development initiative entitled "Young Fans Week" in which the individual stations are taking local youth groups such as Little League squads, YMCA clubs and Boys & Girls' Clubs to MLB games. Encompassing 20 total trips among 11 individual RSNs, the effort employs "Fan Express" luxury buses Fox Sports uses in many markets. "Just like other facets of baseball, all of our RSNs are trying to find new ways to engage younger fans," said Fox Sports Regional Networks VP/Marketing Lindsay Amstutz. "The basic idea is to get kids to the game and be able to experience this in person. This is something I'm hoping we can do more of going forward." Each of the visiting youth groups will be featured within the local game broadcasts. More than 1,000 children overall will participate in the program. Fox' "Young Fans Week" carries thematic similarity to MLB's own set of youth engagement programs, including the recent announced Play Ball campaign. However, there is no formal tie between what MLB is doing and Fox' effort.
