Katie Nolan Will Be Off Apple TV+ Baseball Broadcasts This Season
Baseball fans will not be hearing the voices of Katie Nolan or Melanie Newman on Apple TV+ this coming season.
The New York Post reports that neither media personality will be returning for Apple TV+ baseball coverage as the streaming service shifts from a three-person booth to a two-person booth.
Both Nolan and Newman were hired as analysts as part of Apple TV+'s Friday night doubleheader series ahead of last season.
APPLE TV+ TRIED TO MIX HUMOR WITH A BROADCAST
The initial hiring decision was questionable to some, with plenty of fans not immediately taking a likening to Nolan's broadcast style, which was meant to try and lighten things up. I likened Apple's hiring to when Dennis Miller joined ABC's Monday Night Football coverage in 2000. (Miller didn't work out either - lasting only two seasons before being replaced.)
Apple TV+ dropping Nolan isn't a knock on her, per se. She has a massive following - but it's exactly what got her those fans that may not have made sense to put her in the booth as a baseball analyst in the first place. It didn't work out from the get go and once social media jumped on it was going to be a long season for her.
Nolan even acknowledged this in an interview last winter on Kenny Mayne's podcast.
"When I found out what was, I was like, ‘Are they confused? Do they know what I do?’ Nolan said to Mayne. “What it was and how crazy of an idea it was, combined with the secrecy really had me like, ‘Something’s up. They’re joking, this is a mistake.’ Somebody unsealed the wrong document. This isn’t the one they meant to give me because this says in the booth and that’s just not a thing.’
She went on to explain that after speaking with the streaming service, she agreed to sign on.
"They sold me on the idea of this vision they had for a baseball booth. As with most things that start as visions, they don’t always end up being executed the same way," Nolan said.
BROADCASTING AINT EASY
Sports fans are particular. Baseball fans however are VERY particular (just ask them about the Hall of Fame).
Fans were already livid this past year because of their inability to watch their team as a result of new deals the league did with Apple TV+, Amazon Prime and more.
Believe me - it wasn't easy finding the games in the first place. And then when you tune in and hear a different broadcaster altogether? It's a hard, uphill battle.
Hell, there was even a passionate social media push by some Yankees fans to have YES broadcaster Michael Kay be put on other networks to call Aaron Judge's historic record-breaking home run chase! (Kay never pushed to appear on the other network's games, and ultimately did call both Judge's 61st and 62nd home-runs on the YES Network).
Apple TV+ is making changes to its broadcast booth for the upcoming season. (Photo by Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for Apple TV+)
WHERE DOES NOLAN GO FROM HERE?
It's unclear what's next for Nolan.
The former FS1, ESPN, and now Apple TV+ personality has had a rough media stretch as of late. Whether that's her doing, some bad luck, the network's ideas not coming to fruition - or perhaps a combination of all three, it will be interesting to see where she ends up next. There's far too many outlets and such a digital-first push that I'm sure she'll be back somewhere soon.
As far as Apple TV+'s MLB coverage, they are expected to keep play-by-play announcer Wayne Randazzo as well as sign Fox Sports' Dontrelle Willis. That's according to the New York Post. They are still figuring out the other booth.
Melanie Newman will continue her roles with the MLB Network and the Baltimore Orioles.