Pirate's Cove

There once was a time when broadcast figures would take criticism well, reflect on it. See if the criticism’s were valid, because, otherwise, get this, people do not tune in, and those who had tune out. Not today, where they all seem to be brats

Elle Duncan slams critics after Netflix’s MLB opening night debacle

Major League Baseball’s opening night coverage has been the subject of polarizing opinions.

And this is something Netflix is no stranger to.

Netflix had major streaming issues during its airing of boxing in late 2024, during Jake Paul’s fight with Mike Tyson, which also featured Amanda Serrano’s bout with Katie Taylor, showing a consistent lag. This even led Netflix to be the target of a $50 million lawsuit over the quality of the streaming.

The company is not quite in the same position now following their airing of Yankees-Giants as part of MLB Opening Day, but the online chirping is loud, which Elle Duncan — who joined Netflix as a host following a lengthy tenure on ESPN — responded to on a recent episode of “Pablo Torre Finds Out” this week.

Critics have pointed to non-baseball personalities being used and a new-look scorebug as some of the primary issues.

“Whenever there’s criticism that I saw like, ‘It was just so Netflix. It was not for baseball purists,” Duncan acknowledged, adding, “This was not for baseball purists. You’ll watch it anywhere. This was for the baseball-curious.”

It was opening day, and, they apparently just had weird shit going on. If people are “baseball-curious” they would want to see the game, hear the game, maybe have some explanations, but, really, everyone kind of knows baseball

“A lot of what Netflix is doing in the sports world is, yes, for the people that are always going to watch those sports, but also the people that maybe tuned into to watch “Love is Blind,” saw the button for ‘Opening Day on Netflix,’ and thought, ‘All right, I’ll check it out,’” Duncan said.

Yeah, no, they really didn’t

Duncan disagrees with the criticisms — which include missing the first-ever Automatic Ball Strike challenge due to a mid-inning dugout interview — and mentioned that baseball fans ultimately expected something they weren’t going to fully get.

“This is like going to a Mexican restaurant and bitching that they don’t have barbecue,” said Duncan. “They advertise as a Mexican restaurant. It’s your fault that you somehow thought they were somehow gonna serve barbecue.”

Nah, it’s like going to the Mexican restaurant and them not having chips and salsa, no pico, no tacos.

She later added: “Netflix has made no qualms about who they are. We’re going to eventicize these things, we’re gonna pull people from the Netflix universe. That’s what we’re going to do.”

Netflix will broadcast the Home Run Derby on July 13 and the “Field of Dreams” game between the Phillies and Twins one month later.

Yeah, that’s stupid. Both paragraphs. So, I wonder why happens when no one watches: will Duncan and the rest of her people be terminated? Instead of trying to reinvent the wheel have a good broadcast. From an AI overview

Here is a breakdown of the criticism regarding the Netflix MLB broadcast:

• Failed Production & Cameras: Viewers reported shaky cameras, missed live hits, and a “smoky” or miscolored picture on the main feed.
• “Unwatchable” Scorebug: The on-screen graphic used for the score, pitch count, and batter name was widely criticized for being too small, poorly designed, and confusing.
• Missed Action: The broadcast was criticized for showing excessive in-game interviews with celebrities (like Bert Kreischer) while play was happening, causing viewers to miss key moments, including the first-ever Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) challenge.
• Promotion Over Game: Fans complained that the broadcast felt like a “4-hour commercial” for Netflix, with heavy emphasis on promoting their own content rather than focusing on the baseball game

Looks pretty bad