The coronavirus pandemic has been a "major disruption" to NFL Network, as the league's broadcast arm "hasn't provided live television programming for the past week," according to Nate Davis of USA TODAY. This has been "quite an adjustment considering the network typically airs at least six hours' worth of live shows daily in the offseason." The net earlier this month "decided to cancel its flagship nightly news program, 'NFL Total Access,'" for the first time in its history. With the "help of in-home cameras, smartphones and earbuds," NFL Network anchor Andrew Siciliano has been "hosting an abbreviated version of 'Total Access' in conjunction with remote analysts" like Tom Pelissero, Mike Garafolo and Kurt Warner. The shows "haven't been live, requiring some post-production in the current format." A six-minute version of "Total Access" aired last Monday, "followed by a 27-minute episode Tuesday." Siciliano said, "We're gonna get better at it every day. The network is still very much up and running" (USA TODAY, 3/28).
GOING TO THE VAULTS: ESPN, Fox and NBCSN are showing classic NFL games this spring via agreements with the league. ESPN beginning tonight will show classic "MNF" games, starting with the high-scoring '18 Chiefs-Rams game. Fox yesterday kicked off its schedule with a Sunday afternoon showing of Super Bowl LI, where the Patriots beat the Falcons in OT. There also will be a separate set of games lined up for FS1. Meanwhile, NBCSN will air two classic "SNF" games per night, starting tonight at 7:00pm ET through April 5. Tonight's opener features the first matchup between Peyton and Eli Manning in '06 (John Ourand, THE DAILY). THE ATHLETIC's Richard Deitsch writes the classic games are a "smart move," as it is "free publicity for the NFL, as well as a bit of ratings juice for the networks over ad-hoc programming" (THEATHLETIC.com, 3/30).
UP FOR DEBATE: In N.Y., Bob Raissman reported MLB "may want to limit the broadcast crews working games" as a precaution if/when the season begins. This would mean "home team TV voices, and their technical squad, would be permitted to broadcast the game" from the ballpark but "visiting team voices would not." YES Network Yankees analyst Ken Singleton said that several scenarios "have been discussed, including one where fans in the visiting team market would only get the hometown feeds of baseball games." Singleton: "When you're watching a hometown feed, their cameras and directors are going to concentrate on their team. What's going to happen also is our (YES) guys are going to be back in the studio talking over the pictures from the other team's production crew" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 3/29).
