SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -ESPN won’t be able to allowed to broadcast its “Baseball Tonight” show live from the All-Star game in San Francisco on Tuesday night.
Major League Baseball limited ESPN’s access this week after the cable network broke an embargo and announced the All-Star rosters before the end of a selection show on TBS.
Fox is broadcasting the game, but ESPN traditionally has moved its “Baseball Tonight” crew from the studio in Bristol, Conn., to the site of the game. Karl Ravech, Steve Phillips and John Kruk instead will do the show this year from the studio. ESPN does have reporters on site who will file reports but will be treated like all other non-rightsholders.
ESPN will be allowed to have a one-hour show from the ballpark before the network shows the Home Run Derby.
“ESPN viewers will receive the same in-depth All-Star coverage they have come to expect,” ESPN said in a statement. “We have a long and productive relationship with MLB that we value.”
Baseball spokesman Pat Courtney declined to comment.
TBS was scheduled to announce the All-Star rosters on July 1 during a show from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. EDT. But an Atlanta Braves game preceding the show had a lengthy rain delay and went extra innings, prompting a delay.
ESPN reported the NL starters, including San Francisco slugger Barry Bonds, before the show on TBS aired, using a vote list mistakenly released on The Associated Press wire. The AP sent an advisory after that transmission, saying the list was embargoed until after the TBS show.
ESPN also revealed the entire rosters shortly after they were announced on TBS but before the end of the TBS show in violation of baseball’s embargo.
The platform built to house “Baseball Tonight” will be used by photographers instead.
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