ESPN Executive Discusses The Introduction of Win Probability to 2024 MLB Broadcasts
As ESPN prepares for the 2024 MLB regular season, the network is getting ready to usher in its newest broadcast innovation.
In 2015, ESPN introduced the static K-Zone graphic. In recent years, the Worldwide Leader in Sports has embraced mic ‘d-up players and in-game interviews, adding a little more personality to the broadcast.
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Introducing “Win Probability”
This year, ESPN is getting ready to introduce win probability to its scoreboard, giving viewers (and gamblers) an idea of how the game is going.
“One of the things that we’ll be doing this year for the first time, we will add win probability to our miniboard,” ESPN vice president of production Phil Orlins said. “It will be up there 100 percent of the time, or 98 percent of the time, during the telecast.”
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ESPN will use its own in-house stats and analytics team to calculate the win probability. According to Orlins, the addition of the statistic was a natural addition to the broadcast.
“I think it just speaks to the way people think about sports right now, the consciousness of it, it’s on every website,” he said. “People who obviously have a wager on the game have maybe a little more thought about it as well. After a lot of debate, we want to embrace the differentiation there.”
How Will The New Graphic Be Recieved?
While Orlins expects some backlash (as all changes receive), overall, he thinks the win probability graphic will be embraced by fans.
“You know, it will cause some reaction, and it will probably not at the outset be a mostly positive reaction. But I think over time it will connect with the psyche and intention of the viewers,” he explained.
Photo: Tamir Moore
“I’m 100 percent sure that backlash will diminish over time and people will get used to it and ultimately begin to expect it. I’m not a psychologist, so I guess I should probably be more careful about pretending to analyze the human psyche, but change is not easy on people.”
ESPN’s Goal is to Remain Innovative
In the end, according to Orlins, the goal of MLB on ESPN is to be bold and innovative.
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“We always want to be a little more aggressive. I’m not saying that we want to be completely off the rails from what people traditionally expect from a broadcast. But if you want to put us on a bell curve, we want to be on the more progressive end of that.”
