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National Post

How Sportsnet's stunning drone shots are bringing Dome home for Blue Jays viewers

From a promotional perspective for a booming sports franchise and the corporate sister sports network that helps spread the word with its thorough coverage of the team, the Rogers Centre has never looked better. Article content Crowds of 41,000 plus packed the place each of the last six games as the Blue Jays finished off a 5-1 homestand to further entrench their first-place status in the American League East. Article content Article content Article content Perfect summer nights added to the visuals and one of the biggest and most loyal television audiences in all of baseball were the beneficiaries. Article content And over the past week, a TV production toy has revolutionized the look of what the million-plus Canadians tuning into Jays broadcasts are seeing. The shots from the drone camera buzzing high above the Rogers Centre have been nothing short of stunning, bringing Jays viewers rare views of a stadium that has dramatically transformed its look in the past two years. Article content While no one at Rogers or Sportsnet wants to talk specifically on the record about what the shot has brought to game coverage and whether it will become a fixture in future shows, it's already a winner with many viewers. And on a broadcast that is already pitching 2026 season ticket sales as the best way to secure playoff tickets for 2025 (despite 60 games remaining in the season), the look has never been better. Article content The overhead shots zooming down into the packed stadium have provided terrific transition to game action, while capturing the stunning look of the extensively renovated stadium. Fans are well aware of what's happening on the field, but the shots — particularly the brilliant images at nightfall — are certainly helping spread the message that the downtown dome is once again the place to be. Article content Article content It's encouraging (and logical) to see that Rogers is spending on the production side of the network it owns to best display the team that's also a jewel under its corporate umbrella , given that ratings are routinely topping one million viewers a night. Those numbers should continue to escalate the longer the product remains exciting. Article content Is the shot over-used at times? Perhaps, but if you were a producer or a director with that tool in your tool box, how could you resist one of the more enticing technological tools available. Article content The more advanced sports productions gets, the more sports venues can be treated as giant TV studios. Think of the Olympic Games, where the 'beauty shots' as they are known in the business seem to be on an endless loop providing spectacular backdrops to the spectacle unfolding. No one is suggesting that the Rogers Centre is one of the seven wonders of the sporting world, but it sure looked special during the recently complete series against the Yankees. Article content And the drone camera — which those in the stadium can see hovering high above home plate after nightfall – has certainly added some 'wow' shots to the handful of recent broadcasts it has been part of the Sportsnet arsenal. Article content Speaking with those involved, it doesn't sound as though the drones will be an every home game toy for those that produce the broadcasts, though that could change if rave reviews continue. Article content For whatever reason — and perhaps because the network is still figuring out how extensively it wants to employ the technology going forward — a request to Sportsnet for comment on the drone's use and its impact on the broadcasts was denied citing 'policy' to not allow producers to comment on production. Article content That said, those on air and behind the scenes that we spoke with at the Rogers Centre this week certainly recognized the impact the drone view was bringing to the broadcast. For the broadcasters, there's an appreciation of the atmosphere in the building for a series like the recent one and the drone is helping deliver it in high definition directly to people's screens. Article content For those involved on the production side, they're well aware of the power of a well-timed, unique visual to further capture what's happening with the team. Article content Add in the regular camera shots, excellent audio work to capture the crowd Jays manager John Schneider is crediting as an aid to the team's success and the overall slick show produced by Doug Walton has enhanced the telling of one of the best stories in baseball this season Article content IN THE BOOTH Article content With Buck Martinez's extended absence continuing, Joe Siddall will be alongside Dan Shulman for the big four-game series over the weekend in Detroit against the Tigers. Article content What suddenly looms as a critical series with the AL Central leaders was always going to be on Siddall's schedule given he lives across the river in Windsor, Ont. It is expected that Caleb Joseph will get the call for the four games in three days Baltimore series that follows and leads into the MLB trade deadline. Article content It's expected that Martinez, who continues to follow the action closely, will return to the booth at some point as he deals with what Sportsnet described as a 'health setback.' Article content The sizzling Jays ratings were a topic of conversation around the batting cage this week, especially when compared with the powerhouse brand that are the New York Yankees. Article content Specifically, folks involved with the YES Network, the long-time home of the Yankees broadcasts, were wowed by the news we reported last week that the Sportsnet recorded a season high audience of 1.2 million for the first Yankees series this month. While Sportsnet has the advantage of being a coast-to-coast entity, it isn't as if YES doesn't reach a large market. That said, on the rare occasions that the network draws 500,000 viewers, it's cause for celebration. For Sportsnet, that number would be seen as a terrible off-night for its captive Canadian audience. Article content