NBC Sports executive producer Sam Flood realizes that game telecasts without announcers have been attempted a couple times, mostly without success. He is hoping the July 3 game between the Kansas City Royals and Detroit Tigers on Peacock will reverse that trend.
Peacock will not have any announcers in the booth for its streaming coverage of the AL Central matchup from Detroit’s Comerica Park. Instead, reporters will take fans around the ballpark and view the game from different vantage points.
MLB Sunday Leadoff host and in-game reporter Ahmed Fareed — who grew up in Michigan — will be joined by Bally Sports Detroit analyst Craig Monroe and NBC Sports’ Britney Eurton.
Besides featuring fans in the stands, the broadcast could also include a conversation with a scout about what they are looking for during games. There will also be a focus on youth baseball and softball, including a Little League player announcing the lineups.
The matchup between Kansas City and Detroit — both under .500 — also gives Peacock a chance to be creative in a way it perhaps wouldn’t with a game including the Mets, Yankees or Dodgers.
Peacock does not release streaming numbers for its MLB Sunday Leadoff package, but Fareed said players and fans have learned to adapt to games starting at 11:30 a.m. or noon Eastern.