The Red Sox have at all times been among the many greatest manufacturers in baseball, however now the membership is ready to take heart stage earlier than an unprecedented international viewers.
Netflix introduced Wednesday morning that it has greenlit two documentary collection that includes the Red Sox. One will observe the upcoming 2024 season and supply followers a behind-the-scenes view of life within the large leagues, and the opposite shall be a multi-part collection wanting again on the historic 2004 World Series championship season.
The 2004 look-back collection is slated for launch later this yr, whereas the collection following the upcoming season is predicted to hit Netflix someday in 2025. Filming is predicted to start when pitchers and catchers report back to spring coaching subsequent week and can proceed all year long.
The initiatives characterize the newest foray into sports activities content material for the worldwide streaming big, which boasts over 260 million paid subscribers worldwide, and will present a degree of publicity not like something the Red Sox have skilled earlier than.
“This is one of the largest marketing initiatives we have ever undertaken,” Red Sox CEO Sam Kennedy mentioned in a press release. “When we formally began discussing this opportunity nearly 18 months ago, we stressed to our players that the decision to pursue this project would ultimately be up to them. I am proud of our players, Alex Cora, and our baseball operations leadership for having the courage to embrace such a project and open our clubhouse and Fenway Park to a truly global audience.”
Following comparable initiatives like “Formula 1: Drive to Survive,” Netflix may have unprecedented entry to gamers, coaches and executives over the course of the upcoming season. Much like how the Formula 1 collection performed a serious function in popularizing the worldwide racing circuit within the United State, each MLB and the Red Sox hope this mission might have an identical influence on baseball around the globe.
“From our standpoint it’s awesome because Netflix is the largest streaming platform in the world and it’s incredible that both baseball and the Red Sox and our players will be on this platform to a truly global audience,” Red Sox chief advertising officer Adam Grossman instructed the Herald this week.
According to Grossman, discussions between Netflix, MLB and the Red Sox have been ongoing for 3 years and picked up steam in fall of 2022. The membership knew that for something to occur they would wish buy-in from the gamers, so a gathering befell final April involving Alex Cora, Tom Werner, Netflix and about 10 gamers at Fenway Park in regards to the mission and the way it could work. From that time on all sides have been on board and spent the remainder of the yr working to make the collection a actuality.
“I think fans all over the world will gain a new appreciation for the grind of a baseball season, and people who aren’t already fans will gain new respect for the sport,” mentioned right-hander Nick Pivetta, the staff’s participant union consultant. “I’m looking forward to being a part of the experience with my teammates and the entire organization.”
“This is a unique opportunity the players didn’t want to pass up,” mentioned shortstop Trevor Story. “I’ve enjoyed the behind-the-scenes access in Netflix’s other sports documentaries, and now we get to give the fans an unparalleled look at the passion, sacrifice, and hard work it takes to be a Major League Baseball player.”
The still-untitled 2004 collection is already in manufacturing and can characteristic new interviews with gamers and different distinguished contributors to the historic championship season. While there have been documentaries and specials made on the 2004 season previously, this collection will lean into the practically 20 years of perspective gained by those that took half and must also present a gateway each to youthful viewers who weren’t sufficiently old to expertise it and to worldwide viewers who might not be acquainted.
“Our fans love that our sports series focus on the drama of sport and nothing was more dramatic than the 2004 Red Sox season, especially having witnessed their comeback from the bleachers at Game 7 against the Yankees,” mentioned Gabe Spitzer, Netflix’s Vice President Nonfiction Sports. “We’re thrilled to partner with this iconic franchise to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the greatest sports comeback ever, while also looking forward to the team’s future with inside access to their 2024 campaign.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com