KALAMAZOO, Mich. — There was something different about the way ESPN covered last week’s Western Michigan game.
Perhaps you noticed.
Most likely you didn’t.
But the way it was done appears to be the future of live televised sports.
“You got to make the most of this,” said ESPN’s Eric Wood.
In the past, networks typically would send their entire announce team to games. Now that’s changed. In fact, some announcers aren’t calling the games from stadiums. They’re actually in a studio or even in their homes.
“I think everyone is getting a handle on it,” said Wood, a former college football player at Louisville who has worked for ESPN as a field analyst for the last two years. .
Wood was the only announcer on site at last week’s game in Kalamazoo. He says not having a full crew at the games isn’t ideal but he understands that in this era of social distancing, it makes things a lot safer.
“Some of the booths you cannot properly social distance in which makes it extremely difficult,” he explains.
Wood also admits there’s another reason for the change.
“Networks have taken a hit just like most business in American so you save money,” he said.
For the most part, Woods says viewers don’t seem to notice a difference in the broadcast. Yet even if they do, he’d tell them to look at the bright side.
“Football is a blessing in 2020.”
Besides, a touchdown still sounds like a touchdown.
Even when the play is announced hundreds of miles away.
