Twins.TV Will Feature Upgraded Cameras, But Skimp on Content

[Peter Labuza]

The new format for Twins.TV means changes ahead, but not everything will be to fans' liking.

Image courtesy of © Allan Henry-Imagn Images

As will be true for many teams this season and in the few ahead, the coming of Twins.TV brings a new viewing dynamic to Minnesota Twins baseball. Finally free from cable carrier deals, the Twins are free to produce their games however they want and avoid blackouts. For many, the Twins’ decision to bring back its entire broadcast crew—including fan favorite Audra Martin—is a welcome surprise. More so, the Twins are introducing new cameras, which translates to good union jobs, in their attempts to modernize the show.

But buried in the new details of the new streaming-forward broadcast, new details suggest that the Twins are finding ways to cut their broadcast costs down. As Dan Hayes reports, “When the team is home, the Twins will continue to air 30-minute pregame and postgame shows. But the move to Twins.TV means pregame shows on the road have been eliminated, while postgame shows are limited to 15 minutes.”

I’m not necessarily a pre- and post-game obsessive, but I find them enjoyable and a good mood setter. The Twins have found a great team in Katie Storm, Tim Laudner, and Martin, and some of the pre-recorded segments can be the place where the players’ personalities can shine. If you haven’t checked out a game in a given week, the pregame can be the place to discover the current “vibe” of the team.

Part of the driving force behind these choices is the distinction between which parts of the broadcast are union-made vs. non-union. Twins broadcasts are part together by the crew of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 745. However, they actually don’t negotiate with the Twins. Instead, they work with a company colloquially known as a “crewer” called Program Productions Inc. (PPI), which works with broadcast groups all over the nation. PPI ensures a good crew is available for not just local broadcasts, but also visiting teams and national broadcasts, depending on the needs of the broadcasting partner.

When PPI negotiated their contract with IATSE last year (which runs through 2029), it was officially before the Twins left their contract with Diamond Sports Holding (aka Ballys, now Main Street Sports Group presents FanDuel... you don't need to care anymore). But the Twins, just as other teams have done when partnering with MLB, have kept the same crewers, to ensure continuity with broadcast workers who know the ins and outs of shooting Target Field.

For both the union and fans, the new cameras are a huge win. These include, as Cory Provus revealed at the Winter Meltdown and shared with The Athletic, a wire camera that has been a staple at T-Mobile Park in Seattle for some time, as well as what cinematographers call the “Megalodon,” which gives a high resolution, shallow focus shot of players after they return to the dugout from a home run. According to Dustin Wasserman, Business Agent for Local 745, "The local is excited that with MLB being in charge of production of the games, the broadcast has added back some camera positions lost in previous years, along with the new cable camera system." While unions often have to fight a scaling-back in jobs, IATSE workers are getting a nice boost as the Twins look to upgrade the look and feel of the games.

However, the union doesn’t cover the pre- and post-game shows, giving MLB the flexibility to make changes and create job loss. Those are usually done by in-house staff members. Sources suggest that many of the same crew behind the scenes are being brought from Ballys/FanDuel to MLB, but the cuts in hours will certainly hamper the living wage of those who return.

The choice is simple: the Twins do not have a dedicated broadcast space, and bringing in a whole crew for pre- and post-game coverage is considered onerous. MLB dictates the choices, so the Twins will follow in the same style that the Rockies and Padres have pursued. As for the 15-minute post-game show, those will only feature a wrap-up by Cory Provus and the analysts, as well as a brief clip of a post-game interview if available.  

Fans might go over a week barely hearing from the broadcast, beyond what is provided during the game. More so, fans of teams with MLB producing the broadcasts last year often experienced issues such as the broadcast beginning just seconds before first pitch, and because of the imprecision of technology, they sometimes actually came in after the at-bat had already begun. A little lead time as the teams take the field (and thus a better fan experience) should not be seen as burdensome. But it seems clear the Twins have done what the Pohlads do best: trying to cut every corner. As Provus joked at the Winter Meltdown, when you lose $60 million in television revenue, a lot of choices get made.

The Twins have the opportunity to change things up, and should take advantage of the chance to reach new blocs of fans, but it also seems like a good opportunity to do more. Making fans care about the players, learning about their background, seeing Rocco Baldelli talk about the team—these are not just “niceties” in the baseball world. They're what connect us to the team. 

Some of this might be growing pains, and in a world where switching off cable can create so many new possibilities, let's hope the Twins see the value beyond the first and last innings, eventually.

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[purplesoldier4u]

Crystal clear video and sound is all I care about. I like the broadcasting crew, but if they had none or less of the pre and post game shows, I would be fine with that too. I'm a simple man, with simple needs.

[Vanimal46]

Oh no! We won’t be able to watch Billy Bob and Steve’s hunting show like Bally Sports? What a shame. 

[HerbieFan]

If I watch a game, I understand what I just watched enough that I don't need anyone to spend 1/2 hour explaining it to me.

[Andrew Bryz-Gornia]

Personally, I have no use for pre- and post-game shows when I'm already getting enough news from the beat writers on social media. However, I find it amateurish to start the broadcast just seconds before the first pitch or after the game starts. As far as I'm concerned, the broadcast should start no later than right before the home team takes the field. 

[Parfigliano]

Start on time and on DirecTV and I'm good.  Don't care about pre or post game chatter.

[DJL44]

If you want pre and post game you can turn on the radio.

[Shaitan]

"content" fka "filler"

[bean5302]

Ty France trying to play catcher is a great content!!!!!

[DocBauer]

I'm not in a blackout area here in Nebraska, THANKFULLY. So I haven't had to endure all the ridiculous garbage others have had to endure about Twins broadcasts the past few years. But I still couldn't be more happy about the changes allowing Twins fans finally having decent access to watch games. I'm overjoyed for Twins fans, potential Twins fans, and HOPEFULLY a growth of income for the franchise and new owners going forward as the way we all watch TV/sports continues to change rapidly.

But I just can't let go comments about the Twins "skimping" on content for road games, or the Pohlads being responsible for said skimping. If I'm reading your post correctly, despite MLB now being in control of the broadcasts, are you saying the Pohlads are in control of the road broadcasts limiting content to save $? If so, all the more reason to be anxious for new ownership. 

But it's also my understanding that some teams under the MLB broadcast umbrella don't offer ANY sort of pre or post game offerings. And if I'm correct about that, it would only be fair to state that.

I'm excited for the new cameras in the broadcasts. And I'm excited that the Twins will now be available to fans everywhere!

 

[Parfigliano]

1 hour ago, DJL44 said:

If you want pre and post game you can turn on the radio.

You haven't heard...video killed the radio star.

[Western SD Fan]

I live in Western South Dakota that carried both Rockies and Twins on Fubo.  I found the pre and post-game adequate enough to catch me up on what is going on, especially since I only followed them on Twins off days (Twins broadcasts first!).  They covered the upcoming matchup, yesterday's matchup, tomorrow's matchup, and their next broadcast.  Essentially everything I needed to watch the game that day.  There will be time to record player profiles and more human-interest stories for things like rain delays or postponements if an affiliate is not playing at the moment.  I will admit that the production was definitely more simplistic in nature, but it got the job done and I was happy watching Rockies games.

[Teflon]

Does anyone know if we''ll have the option of choosing between the home or away TV broadcast or to use the radio audio with the TV video? Those are all regular options on the MLB.TV games. Not sure if that works the same when you buy a separate team subscription.

[h2oface]

Doesn't sound like a "fan favorite" with these comments. Personally, I can't stand the fluff, especially during the games when they do it in the stands. 

Is the skimp on content because they are broadcasting ....... the Twins?

[dxpavelka]

be careful what you wish for.  you might get it

 

[CRF]

Less Laudner is a good thing. Less Audra is not a good thing.

[TwinsDr2021]

8 hours ago, DocBauer said:

I'm overjoyed for Twins fans, potential Twins fans, and HOPEFULLY a growth of income for the franchise and new owners going forward as the way we all watch TV/sports continues to change rapidly.

if the Twins get similar amount as the Padres (roughly 40K) I don't see how the Twins make any money off the deal with paying 9 personalities and all the people behind the camera. It seems like a break even at best scenario. But good luck Twins!

[Linus]

1 hour ago, CRF said:

Less Laudner is a good thing. Less Audra is not a good thing.

These are words to live by!

[HrbieFan]

So the only way to get good production is with a union crew? Yeah no 

[JK4]

Hey!  This might be a dumb question, but I haven’t seen this mentioned anywhere regarding Twins.tv.  I’m an experienced streamer, but I have friends that will be brand new to the concept of streaming.  
I am 99.9% sure that to stream Twins games on Roku (or most other streaming devices) on Twins.tv is via the MLB App, right?  I’ve already signed up and paid my $99.99 for the season at Twins.tv, but NOWHERE do I ever see any mention of downloading the MLB App.  Am I missing that language in all the press releases?  This seems so simple to anyone that has used streaming for years, but not everyone understands where or how to stream.

[Fire Dan Gladden]

IMO the biggest issue regarding this was not addressed:  What is the viewership for the pre-game and post-game shows?  I am guessing that there are not enough people watching these to make them worth the cost and effort.  If the viewership was high enough, the Twins would have found a way to keep the longer shows around.

[chpettit19]

57 minutes ago, JK4 said:

Hey!  This might be a dumb question, but I haven’t seen this mentioned anywhere regarding Twins.tv.  I’m an experienced streamer, but I have friends that will be brand new to the concept of streaming.  
I am 99.9% sure that to stream Twins games on Roku (or most other streaming devices) on Twins.tv is via the MLB App, right?  I’ve already signed up and paid my $99.99 for the season at Twins.tv, but NOWHERE do I ever see any mention of downloading the MLB App.  Am I missing that language in all the press releases?  This seems so simple to anyone that has used streaming for years, but not everyone understands where or how to stream.

Welcome to Twins Daily!

I won't claim to be an expert on all things streaming, but I've streamed MLB.tv for years for both major league and minor league games and they've all been through the MLB app on my Roku (as far as TV goes). Online you can get to MLB.tv through MLB's website which also gives you access to MLB Network.

[NotAboutWinning]

Seriously? This is what we have all been awaiting for years! And the TD writers have to come up with a negative spin on it? And give us a side of union propaganda to boot? I used to love this site for the inside baseball perspective it provided. Please get back to what made this site special!

[Karbo]

I usually watch the pre-game show, but post game gets turned off when Rocco comes on. 

[jmlease1]

I think the pre and post game shows are not well designed for the kinds of people who come to Twins Daily to rant and rave about the Twins and baseball. But what they are better at is bringing in more casual fans, and providing additional content to generate interest in the team. Beyond that, it's a more pleasant viewing experience if you tune in 10 minutes early and aren't greeted with a "stay tuned" graphic. So this does seem like a short-term cost cut that doesn't fit well with a more aggressive, broader business concept to grow the fan base and viewership. I would think this would be something a new owner would look at right away.

It'll be nice to have more cameras and different camera angles available to the actual game broadcast, though.

[bean5302]

3 hours ago, NotAboutWinning said:

Seriously? This is what we have all been awaiting for years! And the TD writers have to come up with a negative spin on it? And give us a side of union propaganda to boot? I used to love this site for the inside baseball perspective it provided. Please get back to what made this site special!

Probably just have to make a note to skip Labuza's articles unless you really like the hard core leftist politics.

[C-Gangster]

Oh no we wont get to hear Captain Obvious (Tim Launder) Speak nonsense and not know what hes talking about for 30 minutes.

[Linus]

Has anybody heard whether Twins TV has been picked up by DirectTv?  Or Sling for that matter.

[Twins33]

On 2/13/2025 at 1:44 PM, Linus said:

Has anybody heard whether Twins TV has been picked up by DirectTv?  Or Sling for that matter.

They’re still working on that stuff. They said details will be released later. If it happens like other teams who had this situation, we might not know until right before opening day