FOX SPORTS SET FOR MOST COMPREHENSIVE, TECHNOLOGICALLY-ADVANCED WORLD SERIES COVERAGE EVER

New York – Since broadcasting its first Fall Classic in 1996, FOX Sports has grown to include a family of television networks and cutting edge digital media platforms serving sports fans from coast to coast.  This year, FOX broadcast network, FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports Regional Networks, FOXSports.com, FOX Sports GO, FOX Sports Radio and FOX Deportes offer the most comprehensive coverage ever of Major League Baseball’s World Series, as the American League Champion Kansas City Royals square off against the National League Champion San Francisco Giants.  FOX Sports’ coverage of the 110^th Fall Classic, the 15^th consecutive broadcast by FOX and the network’s 17^th overall, begins Tuesday, Oct. 21, live and in prime time from Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City. 

Seven-time Emmy Award-winner Joe Buck calls play-by-play for his 17^th World Series, and this October welcomes analysts Harold Reynolds and Tom Verducci into the broadcast booth, both calling their first World Series. MLB on FOX insider and FOXSports.com senior baseball writer Ken Rosenthal and veteran reporter Erin Andrews offer coverage from the dugouts.

Kevin Burkhardt anchors FOX’s World Series pregame and postgame coverage presented by Chevrolet live on site, and is joined by Cleveland Indians outfielder Nick Swisher and Gabe Kapler, both past World Champions, and Hall of Famer Frank Thomas for all games. Three-time World Champion and 2013 World Series MVP David Ortiz joins FOX’s pregame and postgame coverage for Games 1 and 2.   Special to Game 1, legendary Kansas City Royals third baseman George Brett introduces America to the Royals, who make their first appearance in the World Series since 1985.

Coming off its first-time coverage of MLB’s Division and National League Championship Series which set multiple viewership records, FOX Sports 1, America’s fastest growing cable network, bolsters FOX’s broadcast coverage every day throughout the World Series with unparalleled access, tapping the resources of signature programs AMERICA’S PREGAME and FOX SPORTS LIVE.  AMERICA’S PREGAME covers the 2014 Fall Classic beginning Tuesday, Oct. 21 (6:00 PM ET) with a special World Series edition of AMERICA’S PREGAME from the FOX Network Center in Los Angeles.   Mike Hill and Molly McGrath host AMERICA’S PREGAME, with analysis from former Major Leaguers Royce Clayton, C.J. Nitkowski and Eric Karros. Special World Series editions of AMERICA’S PREGAME on FOX Sports 1 precede each weekday World Series game and include the latest news, interviews and features, as well as live reports from Burkhardt and the crew on-site.

FOX SPORTS LIVE, FOX Sports 1’s flagship news, highlights and opinion program, features extended coverage after each game’s broadcast.  Hosts Jay Onrait and Dan O’Toole anchor the show from Los Angeles, piloting postgame coverage that includes immediate interviews and comments from managers and players; live postgame reaction from Buck, Reynolds and Verducci; and insight and analysis from Burkhardt, Kapler, Ortiz, Swisher and Thomas.

FOX Sports prides itself on utilizing the latest technological advancements to enhance the viewer experience of the sports it televises, and MLB is no different.  Innovations introduced over the years include Diamond Cam, Catcher Cam, Phantom Cam and enhanced audio with Dolby 5.1.  The technology being deployed this year by FOX makes its  coverage of this Fall Classic the most technologically advanced ever, and includes:

• 38 cameras
  • 20 standard HD cameras
  • Eight robotic cameras
  • Up to two HD Diamond Cams, one in front of home plate and one behind first base
  • One 1,000 frames-per-second 4K camera, delivering unprecedented close-up detail shooting the pitcher and batter from low first or third This camera allows minute detail to be magnified and tracked at a high frame rate
  • Two Phantom Cams, delivering up to 3,000 frames-per-second film-like replays at low first and low third. They deliver cinematic, super smooth replays in unprecedented detail
  • Three X-Mo cameras, which shoot at 400 frames-per-second at mid-first base, third base and tight center field
  • One aerial camera: helicopter in Kansas City; blimp in San Francisco
• 12 multi-channel replay devices with 70 channels of record and playback
• Hawkeye graphic pitch perspective from center field, first base and third base perspectives.
• Ncam virtual graphics and wind  allows virtual 3D graphics and in-stadium wind representation.
• Home Run tracker graphic
• 80 microphones

For decades the World Series has been a force in television programming, and the same is true today.  Last fall, the World Series ranked as the fifth highest-rated and fifth most-watched show in prime time broadcast television, and also ranked in the top five in each of the following key demographics:  Men 18-34, No. 2; Men 18-49, No. 2; Adults 18-34, T No. 2; and Adults 18-49, No. 4.

While prime time television viewership has fragmented over time, the World Series’ rank relative to top prime shows has remained consistent.  Last year’s World Series, which ranked No. 5 in prime time, compares favorably to where past World Series ranked in their respective broadcast seasons:  2003, No. 7; 1993, No. 9; 1983, No. 6; 1973, No. 2.

Pete Macheska serves as lead MLB on FOX producer on FOX, producing his 11^th World Series; Bill Webb directs.  Kent Camera and Bardia Shah-Rais produce pregame and postgame coverage across FOX Sports’ multiple television platforms.  Judy Boyd is coordinating producer.  Eric Shanks is President, COO and Executive Producer, and John Entz is Executive Vice President, Production & Executive Producer, of FOX Sports.

FOX Sports GO

For the first time ever, the World Series is streamed live to baseball fans across the country. FOX Sports GO, the app that provides live streaming video of FOX Sports content at home or on-the-go, streams the 2014 World Series to subscribers of participating video providers. FOX Sports GO is currently available for iOS, Android, Kindle Fire tablets and Fire phones, select Windows devices, including Surface Tablets, and on desktops through FOXSportsGO.com.  Fans can download the mobile app for free from the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Amazon App Store and Windows Store. FOX Sports GO features two separate live streams of the World Series: the FOX Sports telecast in English and the FOX Deportes telecast in Spanish.

FOX Deportes – FOX Deportes, the leader in Spanish-language sports media, broadcasts the 2014 World Series exclusively and offers its most comprehensive World Series coverage ever with pregame shows, special reports, interviews and postgame analysis on its signature studio show, CENTRAL FOX. Former Houston Astros first baseman Jose Tolentino and seasoned commentator Pablo Alsina are joined in the broadcast booth by retired Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Duaner Sanchez to call the action. FOX Deportes’ Digital platforms will supplement efforts with live coverage across its social media networks and provide behind-the-scenes access on FOXDeportes.com. More information on FOX Sports’ coverage of the 2014 World Series is below.

FOX SPORTS 1 – In addition to World Series coverage provided by AMERICA’S PREGAME and FOX SPORTS LIVE, the following baseball-related programs are scheduled on the days surrounding and including the World Series: 

•       MLB 2014: THAT JUST HAPPENED! – Monday, Oct. 20 (10:00 PM ET)

Six essential stories from the 2014 MLB season are re-told with exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes footage (Premiere).

•       MLB ULTIMATE LINEUP – Thursday, Oct. 23 (9:00 PM ET)

Loaded with facts, fun and inside information, this clever, rapid-fire series chronicles the most entertaining players baseball has ever seen.

•       BIG STICKS WITH KEN GRIFFEY JR. – Thursday, Oct. 23 (9:30 PM ET) 

In the continuing original series from FOX Sports and Major League Baseball Productions, future Hall-of-Famer Ken Griffey Jr. talks about the art of hitting with the sport’s biggest names and best batters in the game today.

•       MLB EPIC MOMENTS: A SERIES OF EMOTIONS – Sunday, Nov. 2 (4:00 PM ET)

After the attacks on 9/11, the Yankees became a welcome respite for New Yorkers from the constant reminders of the horrific tragedy that hit Lower Manhattan. Through the lens of Game 7 of the World Series, FOX Sports 1 revisits the team’s amazing postseason run: the Yanks’ amazing comeback in Game 4 of the World Series and Derek Jeter’s walk-off home run, another ninth inning comeback and walk-off in Game 5 and then, the heartbreak of Game 7.

FOXSports.com / JABO – FOXSports.com features reporting, analysis, predictions, game recaps and highlights through the World Series.  Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi report on-site for all games, and are joined by Erik Malinowski for games in San Francisco. FOXSports.com’s new baseball blog, Just a Bit Outside (JABO), has daily World Series coverage from contributors including Rob Neyer and Gabe Kapler, along with instant analysis videos from CJ Nitkowski.

FOX Sports Radio – Extensive coverage of the World Series is anticipated during all FOX Sports Radio programs highlighted by: Jay Mohr Sports (Weekdays 12:00 – 3:00 PM ET); Steve Gorman Sports (Weekdays 3:00 – 6:00 PM ET); and J.T. The Brick (Weekdays 6:00 – 10:00 PM ET).

FOX Sports Kansas City – FOX Sports Kansas City, one of FOX Sports Regional Networks’ 22 owned channels, is the television home of Royals baseball and airs a live postgame show after all World Series games.  Hosted by Ryan Lefebvre, BOULEVARD ROYALS LIVE features game analysis from Rex Hudler and Jeff Montgomery with reports from Joel Goldberg.  FOXSportsKansasCity.com provides additional coverage.