AT&T is following up its partial coverage of the Masters golf tournament in 4K with plans to offer 25 Major League Baseball games in the pixel-packed format, starting with Friday’s matchup between the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
That game, to be called by MLB Network's Bob Costas, Harold Reynold, Tom Verducci and Sam Ryan, will mark the first live 4K telecast of a MLB game in the U.S., said AT&T, which acquired DirecTV last July.
North of the border, Canadian MSOs Rogers Communications is offering all 81 home games of the Toronto Blue Jays in the format on Sportsnet, one element of a grander 4K initiative.
AT&T said Friday’s game will be the first in a string of “MLB Network Showcase” games offered in 4K/Ultra HD. Others on tap for April include the Chicago Cubs at St. Louis Cardinals (April 19); and the New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox tilts on April 29 and April 30. The 4K feeds of those games will be delivered on channel 106.
Those 4K games also come on the heels of DirecTV’s launch of three channels dedicated to 4K. To access them, DirecTV subs will need a Genie HD DVR (model HR54) or later and a 4K Genie Mini if they do not own a “DirecTV Ready” 4K TV. They’ll also need to spring for a professional install, which runs $50, and must be on the provider’s Ultimate or Premiere package.
