There aren’t many things that bring fans of the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox together, and the referee cam on Apple TV+ is one of them.
Friday Night Baseball with the Yankees and Red Sox also featured plenty of POV cameras behind the plate.
Sure, it’s a cool angle that the vast majority of baseball fans never get to experience in real life. But that doesn’t mean it has to be one of the main angles fans see on an MLB broadcast. There is such a thing as too much of a good thing.
Fans who watched the show were ready to put on their Karen hair wigs and ask to speak to the manager.
The Yankees miss a chance in the 1st, but hey, kudos to the broadcast for making it look like a Grand Slam from the start pic.twitter.com/gXGHOc5I4o
— The Talkin’ Yanks (@TalkinYanks) 13 September 2024
One umpire cam shot in a game is too many. Two per batter should be an offence
— The Talkin’ Yanks (@TalkinYanks) 13 September 2024
I would greatly appreciate it if @appletv would stop using the umpire cam for live pitches. At full capacity, 2 outs, and 3-1, it’s not a good time to switch to a view where you really can’t tell what the heck happened.
– Martin Moore (@martin_j_moore) 13 September 2024
It drives me crazy that every single 2-strike pitch is filmed by an umpire. And the only umpire who is actually famous for something, we don’t get to see him do it.
— Pancake27 (@wadebregade14) 14 September 2024
Those Apple TV+ switches to the referee camera couldn’t have been timed worse tonight. You have to have a certain feel for the game situation when you’re directing this broadcast.
— Leo Tesler (@lnyc194) 13 September 2024
Need someone to rig the ump cam button so that it delivers an extremely painful electric shock every time it is pressed
– Dan Rourke (@DanAlanRourke) 13 September 2024
The consensus is this: The referee camera would be great for replays. It should never be used for live throws.
This shouldn’t be too difficult to understand. The angle behind the pitcher is the optimal view of the field for fans at home. It’s the standard for broadcasting baseball games for a reason. Don’t fix what isn’t broken.
Fans sometimes want to see things through different eyes, but the main thing people want at live games is to know what’s going on. The referee camera gets in the way of that.
For many, it’s also disorienting, causing motion sickness and other negative feelings. Does Apple realize that they risk losing viewers with this gimmick? Obviously not.
After a home run or a big strikeout after a hard-hitting sinker, feel free to show your fans the umpire’s camera view, but don’t make it difficult for them to see what’s going on.
The broadcasters want to use their new cool toys. We understand that. The misuse of the technology is the problem.
Do it better, Apple TV+. Please.
