Fox Will Use SkyCam at MLB All-Star Game

The SkyCam, which has been getting more reps as of late, has been the recipient of mixed reviews. Some like the innovation, some would prefer not to suffer bouts of nausea while watching sports. Fox will give it a spin for baseball during Tuesday’s Major League Baseball All-Star Game, according to a report from Forbes.

FOX Sports will be using SkyCam for the first time, ever, at MLB’s Midsummer Classic. According to the network, the design of Nationals Park allowed for the use of the camera technology where other ballparks have not.

There will be one “WildCat” system on-site with a flyspace that will run over left and center field. The camera will track outside the field of play, largely over the bullpens. By running the system as such, it avoids the possibility of the camera or cabling interfering with play.

There’s no indication that the SkyCam will be used as the primary look, as it was a few times during last year’s NFL season. We can all remember how much fun it was to be online during those broadcasts. Plenty of broken brains to go around.

The All-Star Game isn’t exactly the crown jewel it once was and Fox is smart to use anything to draw in more viewers. There will be some curiosity as to how this is all going to work and — more importantly — if the option adds anything.

My prediction: the impact will be minimal and in a few years we’ll look back at these cable-supported device as quaint compared to the hundreds of drones dispatched to the sky to cover every angle.