Audacy has entered a partnership with The New York Mets and Sportsbug, wherein the three entities will deliver real-time digital radio play-by-play of Mets home games in Citi Field. The deal started with the home owner on March 26.
Key to this announcement is an interesting piece of technology, as described below:
Currently, listening to play-by-play digital audio in stadiums typically comes with delays of 30- to 90-plus seconds, making it nearly impossible to follow a broadcast while watching the game live. SportsBug’s technology reduces that delay to under one second.
Fans watching the game inside the Mets ballpark can listen to the broadcast, which promises to sync up nicely with action on the field.
Now for the research. Audacy survey results make a more general pitch for audio as an advantageous venue for baseball fans and advertisers. There is a convenience factor:
“I find that if I have things to do then I can continue about my day with earphones in rather than sitting and watching.”
And several fan testimonials in praise of radio announcers over their TV counterparts:
- “I feel a bit more in tune with the local radio announcers as they’re fans of your team rather than a national punditry team.”
- “A TV announcer is trying to make the game accessible to everyone. A radio guy already assumes you’re a fan and have some understanding.”
- “The radio guys tend to seem more knowledgeable on the whole.”
(RAIN aside: the repeated “radio guys” descriptor ignores the several female announcers doing outstanding work in the majors — we count a dozen via a quick Google query.)