AI Steps Up to the Plate: Revolutionizing World Series Broadcasting

How AI is pitching in at this year's World Series

It's the bottom of the ninth at the World Series. Bases loaded, two outs. The pressure is on -- not just for the players on the field, but for the announcers in the broadcast booth trying to capture the moment for millions of fans. Broadcasters like Joe Davis and John Smoltz at FOX Sports, along with their production teams, do hours of prep before each game to make sure they keep things interesting. But now, they have a powerful new ace in their bullpen: Gemini. FOX Sports and Google Cloud worked together to build FOX Foresight, an AI platform built with Vertex AI. FOX Foresight was then trained on data from many seasons of major league play, down to the smallest details. This allows the production team to ask incredibly specific questions and get answers in seconds. For example, if a certain left-handed hitter is coming up to bat, they could ask: "Who are the top five left-handed batters who played in this year's playoffs? Now who was best in the ninth inning, and what about when the bases are loaded?" Had they relied on traditional research methods alone, this kind of cross-referencing could have taken minutes or more -- long enough that an entire inning might have passed by. But with FOX Foresight, this task takes seconds.

Google's AI hits a home run: How artificial intelligence is transforming Baseball broadcasting at the World Series

Google baseball: Artificial intelligence is now a star player in the World Series. AI powers faster statistics and smarter commentary for fans. It also ensures smoother broadcasts behind the scenes. Tools like FOX Foresight provide instant data for announcers. MLB's 'Connie' system prevents broadcast glitches. AI is making the game more engaging for everyone. Google baseball: Baseball's biggest stage has a new star player this season and it's not wearing a uniform or swinging a bat. Artificial intelligence has quietly become a key part of how millions of fans experience the World Series, powering faster stats, smarter commentary, and more reliable broadcasts behind the scenes, as per a report. This marks a major shift in how America's favorite pastime reaches living rooms across the country. While players fight for the championship on the field, AI systems work in the background, inside broadcast booths and control rooms, to make sure every moment is captured and shared in the most engaging way possible, as per a Rollingout report. AI isn't replacing human expertise, it's enhancing it, as broadcasters and production crews now have powerful tools that help them work more efficiently, turning fast data into meaningful insights that deepen the viewing experience for fans at home, as per the report. Imagine a tense moment in the World Series, bases loaded, two outs in the bottom of the ninth. Millions of fans are glued to their screens as the next pitch approaches. Announcers Joe Davis and John Smoltz need stats fast to add context to the drama. ALSO READ: Your wallet's secret enemy? How the 10-year Treasury is quietly draining your cash That's where the FOX Foresight platform comes in. Built by FOX Sports in collaboration with Google Cloud using Vertex AI technology, the platform has been trained on multiple MLB seasons, packed with data down to the smallest detail, as reported by Rollingout. With Foresight, broadcasters can ask extremely specific questions and get answers within seconds. For example, they can instantly pull up the top five left-handed hitters from this year's playoffs and filter that down to ninth-inning performance with the bases loaded, research that would normally take minutes and possibly miss the moment, as per the report. This speed lets announcers weave data into compelling live stories, enriching the broadcast with sharper insights and context that resonate with fans, as per the Rollingout report. ALSO READ: Alarming trend: Record number of Americans tap 401(k)s to stay afloat - here's what's driving it Even seasoned baseball professionals have embraced the technology. Former Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez, now a FOX Sports analyst, uses FOX Foresight to spot emerging storylines, identifying who's performing at their best, who's struggling, and which players are defining the postseason, as reported by Rollingout. AI isn't just changing commentary, it's also keeping the broadcasts running smoothly as major League Baseball faces the enormous task of delivering video and data feeds to multiple partners, from FOX Sports and MLB Network to international and streaming platforms, as per the Rollingout report. This process involves countless moving parts, cameras, cables, broadcast trucks, servers, and large technical teams. A single failure could cause fans to miss key plays. To prevent that, MLB introduced an AI system earlier this season called the Connectivity Agent, or "Connie," as per the Rollingout report. Built with Google Cloud, Connie continuously monitors the network feeds that capture and deliver every moment of the game. But Connie does more than just watch for problems, it detects issues in real time and automatically takes steps to fix them before they affect viewers, as per the Rollingout report. This proactive "agentic" approach handles monitoring, detection, triage, and resolution without waiting for human intervention, as per the report. How is AI being used in the World Series? AI helps broadcasters deliver faster stats, smarter commentary, and smoother live broadcasts during the games. What is the FOX Foresight platform? It's an AI-powered tool built by FOX Sports and Google Cloud that gives broadcasters instant access to detailed baseball data. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)