You may have noticed some unusual new camera angles in Fox’s live broadcast of Major League Baseball’s annual “All -Star Game” earlier this week. That’s because Fox, in a historic first, decided to add four remotely piloted drones to its standard baseball coverage, allowing viewers to gain some additional perspective on the game as it unfolded.

One drone flew between home plate, third base and the outfield while two others, including a large helicopter drone, filmed while hovering over center field. A fourth drone shot footage from outside the stadium and zoomed in to film the action along the first base line. It was an unprecedented operation – for Major League Baseball (MLB) and for Fox.

Naturally, the FAA, which is highly risk-averse about drone flights near large groups of people (based on safety and privacy concerns, real and imagined) wasn’t too keen on the idea. Strict conditions were set: No drone filming would be allowed during live play. The only exceptions granted were for brief lulls in the action  (i.e. after “outs”) and for longer delays in the progress of play when a relief pitcher was called in from the bullpen.  Most of the filming would occur between innings when players on the two teams changed positions on the field.  And there would be no drone panning of the crowd.

Still, it was a historic first.

Los Angeles-based Beverly Hills Aerials designed and built the four drones for Fox, all of them from scratch; however, their exact specs remained undisclosed. One drone, dubbed the “Bumblebee,” is said to be the size of two adjoined palm hands – akin to a micro-drone, but still packing a high-powered zoom.  Fox sources said they’ve deployed a version of the Bumblebee in a few sports events in the past but the larger helicopter drone – specifically adapted to large stadium venues – was a novel addition.

Fox wasted no time deploying its new drone fleet – even before the main event began.  It started on Monday with the filming of the “Home Run Derby,” a high-profile contest featuring a succession of the game’s leading hitters belting baseballs into the stands. And days earlier, a second UAV company put on a dazzling drone light show intended to generate viewer buzz about the game.  Over 18 minutes, hundreds of multicolored drones flashed a succession of baseball-related images, including the slogan “Play Ball” in several different languages, as thousands of cheering sports fans looked on. Fox, which helped sponsor the show, was also on hand to film and promote it.

It was the MLB’s first true drone extravaganza.

Fox officials were jubilant about having set another sports drone precedent. The network first broke the mold with its coverage of the Daytona 500 with UAVs back in 2018 and it’s been an industry trend-setter ever since.  Officials at the company say it’s only a matter of time before live and continuous drone coverage of all major sporting events, including baseball, is approved.  But they’re not holding their breath

Other broadcast giants, including ESPN and CBS, have been experimenting with live drone coverage of NFL football games, MLS soccer matches, and professional golf, and like Fox have generally faced onerous FAA restrictions.

But the trend is clear:  the more sports fans get a taste of what drones can show them – including previously unavailable action close-ups and more in-depth reviews of contested calls – the more they want to see.  In a recent survey, 67% of sports fans said they wanted drones added to future sports coverage – and nearly 40% said they would welcome sporting events filmed entirely by drones.

The sports industry could use a fresh boost.  Post COVID, audience attendance at major sports events is down, but so is audience viewing – the numbers for the All-Star game, for example, plunged for the second straight year.  Drones are cheaper and offer novel ways to conduct live broadcasts, potentially captivating a new generation of viewers.  And despite their usual caution, MLB owners seem more than ready to embrace them, too.

So, what is the FAA waiting for?

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