MLB Network's on-location World Series set normally is located on the field, but the pandemic has forced it to relocate to the left-field concourse at Globe Life Field this year. The "Intentional Talk" and "MLB Tonight" pre- and postgame shows are originating from the ballpark, while "High Heat" and "MLB Now" have remained in Secaucus, N.J. "We're taking advantage of it," MLBN VP/Remote Operations Tom Guidice. "We have some really good looks from this location and can show off this new ballpark. We need six feet of separation, so we can only have a host and analyst on our main set." Players previously would just walk over to the set for interviews before and after games. However, this year they are speaking to Jon Morosi, the net's on-field reporter who is designated as a Tier 2 individual after quarantining for eight days. MLBN Senior Coordinating Producer Marc Caiafa: "We have cameras on both sides, in both dugouts. They are our lifeline to players communicating with our talent on the desk in left field. Jon interviews a player and feeds it back to the truck and then it's inserted into the show." MLBN has roughly 100 staffers on site -- at least 40 fewer than normal. But Guidice said knowing the World Series location ahead of time and having a retractable roof made it a little easier to set up.
ANOTHER WORLD SERIES LOW: Fox drew another record-low World Series audience with Game 2 on Wednesday night. The Rays’ 6-4 win over the Dodgers averaged 8.95 million viewers, below the previous low set for Game 1 on Tuesday night (9.195 million). Despite the decline, Fox did win primetime again among all networks. Wednesday night was down 25% from last year’s Nationals-Astros Game 2 (12 million) and down 34% from Game 2 of Red Sox-Dodgers in ’18 (13,51 million). Game 2 also was Fox’s best audience for a Wednesday night telecast since May 20 for the finale of “The Masked Singer.” Fox Sports digital platforms had an average minute audience of 144,747 viewers.
