Thursday night is Netflix's season finale: the MLB Field of Dreams Game live from Dyersville, Iowa. A baseball mecca and hallowed ground for many. Why? Because of its simplicity. Lights, field, corn.
The nostalgia of the Oscar-nominated film runs deep with baseball fans young and old. James Earl Jones' speech mixed in with the emotions of having a catch. The script is just laid out for Netflix to end its first season of MLB coverage with a home run. But will they?
If the first two instances of coverage on the streaming giant have proven anything, it's that Netflix tends to add too much to a proven formula. MLB Opening Night was an utter disaster of a debut for baseball purists. The Home Run Derby was Netflix's attempt to correct some of those mistakes. Thursday night, the lights in Iowa offer a grand finale. One that Netflix needs to take seriously into its offseason.
Netflix wants live events. They don't want baseball games on a regular basis. That's why, entering the season, I knew the approach by Netflix wouldn't be for the purists. The goal was simple: Be different.
The first shot out of the gate was MLB Opening Night. It was filled with 'Netflixing' the start of the MLB baseball season. Plenty of references and signage plugged Netflix content selections. You had Jameis Winston hanging out with fans and the Uso brothers in the stands. Bert Kreischer was in McCovey's Cove, then screaming to the fans about the excitement of Opening Night.
#season #fans #first
The nostalgia of the Oscar-nominated film runs deep with baseball fans young and old. James Earl Jones' speech mixed in with the emotions of having a catch. The script is just laid out for Netflix to end its first season of MLB coverage with a home run. But will they?
If the first two instances of coverage on the streaming giant have proven anything, it's that Netflix tends to add too much to a proven formula. MLB Opening Night was an utter disaster of a debut for baseball purists. The Home Run Derby was Netflix's attempt to correct some of those mistakes. Thursday night, the lights in Iowa offer a grand finale. One that Netflix needs to take seriously into its offseason.
Netflix wants live events. They don't want baseball games on a regular basis. That's why, entering the season, I knew the approach by Netflix wouldn't be for the purists. The goal was simple: Be different.
The first shot out of the gate was MLB Opening Night. It was filled with 'Netflixing' the start of the MLB baseball season. Plenty of references and signage plugged Netflix content selections. You had Jameis Winston hanging out with fans and the Uso brothers in the stands. Bert Kreischer was in McCovey's Cove, then screaming to the fans about the excitement of Opening Night.
#season #fans #first
4 days ago
