Braves TBS Baseball
Encyclopedia
Braves TBS Baseball or Braves Baseball on TBS is a Major League Baseball
broadcast on the TBS (Turner Broadcasting System) cable
network
by Turner Sports
, featuring Atlanta Braves
regular season games. The program, which made its debut in 1973
, ended national broadcasts in 2007
.
TBS phased out its national coverage of Braves baseball after striking a contract to broadcast other regular season and playoff Major League Baseball games. Many Braves games will now only be broadcast regionally on SportSouth
, FSN South
, and Peachtree TV. In spite of this, some of the games broadcast by TBS since 2008 have indeed featured the Braves.
-owned Atlanta Braves
Major League Baseball
team is perhaps TBS' signature program. Turner acquired the rights to Braves games in 1972
, taking them from WSB-TV
, then an NBC affiliate, who had carried them since the team moved to Atlanta in 1966
. In fact, Turner would buy the team outright in 1976
, mainly to keep a programming staple of his in Atlanta. Before the sale, rumors had spread alleging that the Braves' owners were looking to move the franchise to another city, following dismal attendance in 1974
and 1975
, after the excitement of Hank Aaron hitting his then-record-breaking 715th home run on April 8, 1974 wore off.
Prior to the landmark event of getting WTCG/WTBS' signal on a satellite for distribution to cable systems throughout the U.S., Turner syndicated live games throughout the 1970s to stations (mostly network affiliates, as the region had few independent stations) throughout Georgia
and adjoining states, including Turner's WRET (now WCNC-TV
) in Charlotte, North Carolina
. Usually, the Sunday afternoon game and one game during evening prime time
were provided to local stations, with mid-week games airing mainly during the summer rerun season on the networks. Also, WTCG had already become available on many cable systems in Georgia
, Alabama
, and South Carolina
via microwave relay transmission by the mid-1970s, giving the team even further TV exposure to its loyal Southern fans.
Most other MLB teams used a regional syndication approach like this in their respective parts of the country. When WTCG reached a significant penetration of Southern homes, however, circa 1978
-1979
, Turner discontinued syndicating, making the Braves the first team to provide no live coverage of its games to traditional terrestrial TV stations other than that in its home market.
Turner once famously tried to get Andy Messersmith
to use his jersey
, which was numbered 17, to promote TBS in its early years. The back of the jersey read, "CHANNEL 17." Major League Baseball immediately stopped this plan because, according to MLB rules, team jerseys are not supposed to have advertising
other than that of the jersey manufacturer.
, usually around a 2.0 and sometimes even higher. This was the time when the station termed them, in a promotional campaign, "America's team." Probably a majority of those viewers were fans of the team in the Southeastern United States
, namely the states of Georgia, Alabama, Florida
, South Carolina, and Tennessee
. Viewers in those states were among the first to receive WTCG/WTBS on their cable systems and some had already been watching the games for years on their local stations on WTCG's relayed signal (see above). The team also attracted fans living in rural areas throughout the U.S. who had no local Major League baseball teams nearby.
WTBS petitioned for the rights to produce a locally-originated broadcast of the 1982 National League Championship Series
, played between the Braves
and the St. Louis Cardinals
. Following a decision from U.S. Court of Appeals
in Philadelphia
, Major League Baseball blocked them from doing so on grounds that as a cable superstation, TBS could not have a nationwide telecast competing with the network coverage of the NLCS, which was carried that year by ABC. Following the 1983 season
, Major League Baseball no longer permitted local television stations from producing their own League Championship Series broadcasts (the games were already seen over-the-air anyway).
In 1997
, TBS began to collect subscriber fees directly from cable operators, effectively making the national feed operating under the conventions of a basic cable network, though still technically a superstation. In exchange, TBS began to lease advertising slots to cable operators to carry local commercials; as a result the channel began to broadcast fewer Atlanta Braves season games to a national audience.
, Braves games on TBS began to undergo significant change for the first time in many years. They let Don Sutton and Joe Simpson
be the lead commentators while longtime play-by-play men Skip Caray
and Pete Van Wieren
had their roles cut back. The slogan Braves Baseball on TBS was replaced by Major League Baseball on TBS. After the All-Star Break, TBS brought back Skip and Pete to work with the two analysts while in the following year, the title reverted back to Braves Baseball on TBS.
These changes reflected increased rights fee payments to Major League Baseball. In turn, national sponsors could fulfill their advertising commitments by purchasing ads on TBS, in addition to ESPN
or Fox.
, some TBS telecasts (mostly Fridays or Saturdays) became more enhanced. The network decided to call it Braves TBS Xtra, which Braves broadcaster Skip Caray would refer to simply as "one of those super duper telecasts".
Enhancements included catcher cam, Xtra Motion showing the type of pitch and movement, and also leadOff Line. Often, there would be a guest analyst in the booth and features with inside access to players were also shown.
, and let them keep the games (Turner South had been carrying games in order to ensure wide distribution in the Southeast). After that, the FSN South broadcasters did all Turner South Telecasts, which was renamed SportSouth
later in the year to distinguish it from FSN South. FSN South's 25 game package (usually on Wednesdays) is a vestige of its days as the former SportSouth (launched by Turner), as well as a means to ensure that ESPN's game would generally be the only one seen nationwide on Wednesdays without subscribing to MLB Extra Innings. With the decision to allow FSN to broadcast over 85 games, TBS was no longer the Braves' primary broadcaster. Coupled with the impending sale of the team, Pete Van Wieren
said, "It's like an end of an era." At the end of the 2006
season, Turner Sports decided not to renew analyst Don Sutton's contract with the network, while Ron Gant
joined FSN South/SportSouth on a full-time basis, meaning that Joe Simpson would be the main analyst for all Braves telecasts.
marked the last year of Braves baseball on TBS in a fully national feed, covering 70 Braves games as in recent years. From 2008 until 2013, the Atlanta market will get 45 Braves games per season on Peachtree TV. Those games are available to be aired in the Braves regional territory and on Comcast/Charter Sports Southeast. The remaining games will air on FSN South or SportSouth, meaning the Braves will now revert to primarily regional coverage, as most other teams have done ever since recent expansions gave MLB a virtually nationwide footprint. However, due to licensing requirements preventing the national cable version of TBS to be shown in Canada, WPCH is still carried on Canadian cable and satellite systems as a superstation, still allowing Braves games aired by WPCH to be seen outside of the Atlanta area.
Previously, TBS had announced a deal to air those same 45 games nationally, before signing their new contract for national Sunday afternoon and playoff games, Major League Baseball on TBS. Some of the national games could end up including the Braves - indeed the Braves have appeared on a few telecasts since 2008.
The final game of Braves TBS Baseball after 32 years was aired on September 30, when the Braves
played at the Houston Astros
. The Braves lost 3–0. On the final broadcast Skip Caray
thanked fans saying, "To all you people who have watched the Braves for these 30 years ... thank you. We appreciate you more than you will ever know. ... Thank you folks and God bless you. And we're going to miss you every bit as much as you miss us."
, all Braves home games on TBS were broadcast in high definition to viewers on WTBS-DT in Atlanta and throughout the Southeast on cable packages (e.g. Comcast and Charter). It appears that the cable deals were not renewed as no TBS home games have been broadcast in HD in 2007
(all home games on FSN South/SportSouth are in HD on both cable and satellite). However, TBS' new national package resulted in the creation of a dedicated HD feed.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
broadcast on the TBS (Turner Broadcasting System) cable
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
network
Television network
A television network is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, whereby a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay TV providers. Until the mid-1980s, television programming in most countries of the world was dominated by a small...
by Turner Sports
Turner Sports
Turner Sports is the division of Turner Broadcasting System responsible for sports broadcasts on Turner channels including TBS, TNT, and TruTV, and for operating the interactive properties , , , and...
, featuring Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
regular season games. The program, which made its debut in 1973
1973 Atlanta Braves season
The highlight of the Atlanta Braves season was Hank Aaron finishing the season just one home run short of Babe Ruth as baseball's all-time home run king.- Offseason :...
, ended national broadcasts in 2007
2007 Atlanta Braves season
The Atlanta Braves' 2007 season began with the Braves attempting to recapture the NL East title, which they relinquished for the first time since the 1990 season to the New York Mets in the 2006 season. They opened their season with a sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies.-December:*: Signed RHP...
.
TBS phased out its national coverage of Braves baseball after striking a contract to broadcast other regular season and playoff Major League Baseball games. Many Braves games will now only be broadcast regionally on SportSouth
SportSouth
SportSouth is a regional sports network in the United States, with its headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. SportSouth, formerly Turner South, relaunched on October 13, 2006...
, FSN South
FSN South
Fox Sports South is a regional sports network that airs sports programming in the Southern United States. It is part of the larger Fox Sports Net group of regional sports networks...
, and Peachtree TV. In spite of this, some of the games broadcast by TBS since 2008 have indeed featured the Braves.
1970s
Coverage of the formerly-Ted TurnerTed Turner
Robert Edward "Ted" Turner III is an American media mogul and philanthropist. As a businessman, he is known as founder of the cable news network CNN, the first dedicated 24-hour cable news channel. In addition, he founded WTBS, which pioneered the superstation concept in cable television...
-owned Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
team is perhaps TBS' signature program. Turner acquired the rights to Braves games in 1972
1972 Atlanta Braves season
- Offseason :* December 2, 1971: Hal King was traded by the Braves to the Texas Rangers for Paul Casanova.- Notable transactions :* May 11, 1972: Steve Barber was released by the Braves....
, taking them from WSB-TV
WSB-TV
WSB-TV, virtual channel 2.1 , is the ABC affiliate in Atlanta, Georgia. It is the flagship television station of Cox Enterprises and its Cox Media Group subsidiary...
, then an NBC affiliate, who had carried them since the team moved to Atlanta in 1966
1966 Atlanta Braves season
The Atlanta Braves season was the first for the franchise in Atlanta, following their relocation from Milwaukee, where the team had played the previous 13 seasons. The Braves finished their inaugural year in Atlanta in fifth place in the National League with a record of 85-77, ten games behind the...
. In fact, Turner would buy the team outright in 1976
1976 Atlanta Braves season
- Offseason :* November 17, 1975: Dusty Baker and Ed Goodson were traded by the Braves to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Jerry Royster, Lee Lacy, Tom Paciorek, and Jimmy Wynn....
, mainly to keep a programming staple of his in Atlanta. Before the sale, rumors had spread alleging that the Braves' owners were looking to move the franchise to another city, following dismal attendance in 1974
1974 Atlanta Braves season
The Atlanta Braves season was a season in American baseball. The team finished third in the National League West with a record of 88-74, 14 games behind the Cincinnati Reds...
and 1975
1975 Atlanta Braves season
- Offseason :* November 2, 1974: Hank Aaron was traded by the Braves to the Milwaukee Brewers for Dave May and a player to be named later. The Brewers completed the deal by sending Roger Alexander to the Braves on December 2....
, after the excitement of Hank Aaron hitting his then-record-breaking 715th home run on April 8, 1974 wore off.
Prior to the landmark event of getting WTCG/WTBS' signal on a satellite for distribution to cable systems throughout the U.S., Turner syndicated live games throughout the 1970s to stations (mostly network affiliates, as the region had few independent stations) throughout Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
and adjoining states, including Turner's WRET (now WCNC-TV
WCNC-TV
WCNC-TV is the NBC affiliate in Charlotte, North Carolina. It broadcasts its digital signal on UHF channel 22 and is carried on cable channel 6 on most area cable systems. It is owned by the Belo Corporation...
) in Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
. Usually, the Sunday afternoon game and one game during evening prime time
Prime time
Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast programming during the middle of the evening for television programing.The term prime time is often defined in terms of a fixed time period—for example, from 19:00 to 22:00 or 20:00 to 23:00 Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast...
were provided to local stations, with mid-week games airing mainly during the summer rerun season on the networks. Also, WTCG had already become available on many cable systems in Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, and South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
via microwave relay transmission by the mid-1970s, giving the team even further TV exposure to its loyal Southern fans.
Most other MLB teams used a regional syndication approach like this in their respective parts of the country. When WTCG reached a significant penetration of Southern homes, however, circa 1978
1978 Atlanta Braves season
- Offseason :* December 8, 1977: Willie Montañez was traded by the Braves to the New York Mets as part of a four-team trade. Adrian Devine, Tommy Boggs, and Eddie Miller were traded by the Texas Rangers to the Braves. The Rangers sent Bert Blyleven to the Pittsburgh Pirates, and the Mets sent John...
-1979
1979 Atlanta Braves season
- Offseason :* January 9, 1979: Brook Jacoby was drafted by the Braves in the 7th round of the 1979 Major League Baseball Draft.* February 22, 1979: Mike Davey was purchased from the Braves by the Seattle Mariners....
, Turner discontinued syndicating, making the Braves the first team to provide no live coverage of its games to traditional terrestrial TV stations other than that in its home market.
Turner once famously tried to get Andy Messersmith
Andy Messersmith
John Alexander "Andy" Messersmith is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He was the 12th overall pick of the 1966 amateur draft by the California Angels...
to use his jersey
Jersey
Jersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and...
, which was numbered 17, to promote TBS in its early years. The back of the jersey read, "CHANNEL 17." Major League Baseball immediately stopped this plan because, according to MLB rules, team jerseys are not supposed to have advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
other than that of the jersey manufacturer.
1980s and early 1990s
In the 1980s and 1990s, the Braves games on TBS recorded high ratingsNielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
, usually around a 2.0 and sometimes even higher. This was the time when the station termed them, in a promotional campaign, "America's team." Probably a majority of those viewers were fans of the team in the Southeastern United States
Southeastern United States
The Southeastern United States, colloquially referred to as the Southeast, is the eastern portion of the Southern United States. It is one of the most populous regions in the United States of America....
, namely the states of Georgia, Alabama, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, South Carolina, and Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. Viewers in those states were among the first to receive WTCG/WTBS on their cable systems and some had already been watching the games for years on their local stations on WTCG's relayed signal (see above). The team also attracted fans living in rural areas throughout the U.S. who had no local Major League baseball teams nearby.
WTBS petitioned for the rights to produce a locally-originated broadcast of the 1982 National League Championship Series
1982 National League Championship Series
The National League Championship Series was played between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Atlanta Braves from October 6 to October 10.-Background:...
, played between the Braves
1982 Atlanta Braves season
- Offseason :* October 5, 1981: Gaylord Perry was released by the Braves.* March 23, 1982: Brian Asselstine was released by the Braves.During the offseason, the Braves acquired manager Joe Torre from the New York Mets in hopes of bringing the Braves their first postseason appearance since 1969.-...
and the St. Louis Cardinals
1982 St. Louis Cardinals season
The St. Louis Cardinals' 1982 season was the team's 101st season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 91st season in the National League. Making up for the previous year's near-miss, the Cardinals went 92-70 during the season and won their first-ever National League East Division title by three games...
. Following a decision from U.S. Court of Appeals
United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts for the following districts:* District of Delaware* District of New Jersey...
in Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, Major League Baseball blocked them from doing so on grounds that as a cable superstation, TBS could not have a nationwide telecast competing with the network coverage of the NLCS, which was carried that year by ABC. Following the 1983 season
1983 Atlanta Braves season
- Regular season :The 1983 season was one of hope for the Braves of Atlanta. The previous season they had won 89 games and advanced to the playoffs before succumbing to the St. Louis Cardinals in three consecutive games. This was a season to prove that the 1982 National League West Division...
, Major League Baseball no longer permitted local television stations from producing their own League Championship Series broadcasts (the games were already seen over-the-air anyway).
In 1997
1997 Atlanta Braves season
-Offseason:*November 20, 1996: John Smoltz was signed as a Free Agent with the Atlanta Braves.* November 25, 1996: Paul Byrd was traded by the New York Mets with a player to be named later to the Atlanta Braves for Greg McMichael...
, TBS began to collect subscriber fees directly from cable operators, effectively making the national feed operating under the conventions of a basic cable network, though still technically a superstation. In exchange, TBS began to lease advertising slots to cable operators to carry local commercials; as a result the channel began to broadcast fewer Atlanta Braves season games to a national audience.
2003
In 20032003 Atlanta Braves season
-Offseason:*November 20, 2002: Donzell McDonald was signed as a Free Agent with the Atlanta Braves.*December 18, 2002: Paul Byrd was signed as a Free Agent with the Atlanta Braves.*December 19, 2002: Greg Maddux was signed as a Free Agent with the Atlanta Braves....
, Braves games on TBS began to undergo significant change for the first time in many years. They let Don Sutton and Joe Simpson
Joe Simpson (broadcaster)
Joe Allen Simpson has been a radio and television broadcaster for the Atlanta Braves since 1992 and is a former Major League Baseball player.-Playing career:...
be the lead commentators while longtime play-by-play men Skip Caray
Skip Caray
Harry Christopher "Skip" Caray, Jr. was an American sportscaster, best known for his long career as a radio and television play-by-play announcer for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball...
and Pete Van Wieren
Pete Van Wieren
Pete van Wieren is a former American sportscaster best known for his long career calling play-by-play for Major League Baseball's Atlanta Braves.-Atlanta Braves:...
had their roles cut back. The slogan Braves Baseball on TBS was replaced by Major League Baseball on TBS. After the All-Star Break, TBS brought back Skip and Pete to work with the two analysts while in the following year, the title reverted back to Braves Baseball on TBS.
These changes reflected increased rights fee payments to Major League Baseball. In turn, national sponsors could fulfill their advertising commitments by purchasing ads on TBS, in addition to ESPN
ESPN Major League Baseball
ESPN Major League Baseball is a promotion of Major League Baseball on ESPN and ESPN2, with simulcasts on ESPNHD or ESPN2HD. ESPN's MLB coverage debuted on April 9, 1990 with three Opening Day telecasts. ESPN Major League Baseball is guaranteed to remain on air until 2013.The title is derived from...
or Fox.
Braves TBS Xtra
Starting in 20042004 Atlanta Braves season
-Offseason:*October 25, 2003: DeWayne Wise was signed as a Free Agent with the Atlanta Braves.*November 14, 2003: Jorge Velandia was signed as a Free Agent with the Atlanta Braves.*December 13, 2003: J.D. Drew was traded by the St...
, some TBS telecasts (mostly Fridays or Saturdays) became more enhanced. The network decided to call it Braves TBS Xtra, which Braves broadcaster Skip Caray would refer to simply as "one of those super duper telecasts".
Enhancements included catcher cam, Xtra Motion showing the type of pitch and movement, and also leadOff Line. Often, there would be a guest analyst in the booth and features with inside access to players were also shown.
2006
While just carrying 70 Braves games on TBS, TBS sold Turner South to Fox SportsFox Sports (USA)
Fox Sports is a division of the Fox Broadcasting Company . It was formed in 1994 with Fox's acquisition of broadcast rights to National Football League games...
, and let them keep the games (Turner South had been carrying games in order to ensure wide distribution in the Southeast). After that, the FSN South broadcasters did all Turner South Telecasts, which was renamed SportSouth
SportSouth
SportSouth is a regional sports network in the United States, with its headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. SportSouth, formerly Turner South, relaunched on October 13, 2006...
later in the year to distinguish it from FSN South. FSN South's 25 game package (usually on Wednesdays) is a vestige of its days as the former SportSouth (launched by Turner), as well as a means to ensure that ESPN's game would generally be the only one seen nationwide on Wednesdays without subscribing to MLB Extra Innings. With the decision to allow FSN to broadcast over 85 games, TBS was no longer the Braves' primary broadcaster. Coupled with the impending sale of the team, Pete Van Wieren
Pete Van Wieren
Pete van Wieren is a former American sportscaster best known for his long career calling play-by-play for Major League Baseball's Atlanta Braves.-Atlanta Braves:...
said, "It's like an end of an era." At the end of the 2006
2006 Atlanta Braves season
The Atlanta Braves' 2006 season was a season in American baseball. It consisted of the Atlanta Braves attempting to win the NL East.Finishing with a 79–83 record, not only did the Braves miss the playoffs for the first time since 1990 , but also their first losing season and worst record since that...
season, Turner Sports decided not to renew analyst Don Sutton's contract with the network, while Ron Gant
Ron Gant
Ronald Edwin "Ron" Gant is a former American Major League outfielder and second baseman earlier on who played for the Atlanta Braves , Cincinnati Reds , St...
joined FSN South/SportSouth on a full-time basis, meaning that Joe Simpson would be the main analyst for all Braves telecasts.
2007 and beyond
The 2007 season2007 Atlanta Braves season
The Atlanta Braves' 2007 season began with the Braves attempting to recapture the NL East title, which they relinquished for the first time since the 1990 season to the New York Mets in the 2006 season. They opened their season with a sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies.-December:*: Signed RHP...
marked the last year of Braves baseball on TBS in a fully national feed, covering 70 Braves games as in recent years. From 2008 until 2013, the Atlanta market will get 45 Braves games per season on Peachtree TV. Those games are available to be aired in the Braves regional territory and on Comcast/Charter Sports Southeast. The remaining games will air on FSN South or SportSouth, meaning the Braves will now revert to primarily regional coverage, as most other teams have done ever since recent expansions gave MLB a virtually nationwide footprint. However, due to licensing requirements preventing the national cable version of TBS to be shown in Canada, WPCH is still carried on Canadian cable and satellite systems as a superstation, still allowing Braves games aired by WPCH to be seen outside of the Atlanta area.
Previously, TBS had announced a deal to air those same 45 games nationally, before signing their new contract for national Sunday afternoon and playoff games, Major League Baseball on TBS. Some of the national games could end up including the Braves - indeed the Braves have appeared on a few telecasts since 2008.
The final game of Braves TBS Baseball after 32 years was aired on September 30, when the Braves
2007 Atlanta Braves season
The Atlanta Braves' 2007 season began with the Braves attempting to recapture the NL East title, which they relinquished for the first time since the 1990 season to the New York Mets in the 2006 season. They opened their season with a sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies.-December:*: Signed RHP...
played at the Houston Astros
2007 Houston Astros season
The Houston Astros' 2007 season began with the team trying to take the NL Central title back from the World Series winners, the St. Louis Cardinals, after the Cardinals won it in 2006...
. The Braves lost 3–0. On the final broadcast Skip Caray
Skip Caray
Harry Christopher "Skip" Caray, Jr. was an American sportscaster, best known for his long career as a radio and television play-by-play announcer for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball...
thanked fans saying, "To all you people who have watched the Braves for these 30 years ... thank you. We appreciate you more than you will ever know. ... Thank you folks and God bless you. And we're going to miss you every bit as much as you miss us."
Announcers
- Chip Caray (2005–2007), Play-by-play
- Skip CaraySkip CarayHarry Christopher "Skip" Caray, Jr. was an American sportscaster, best known for his long career as a radio and television play-by-play announcer for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball...
(1975–2007), Play-by-Play - Marc FeinMarc FeinMarc Fein is a sports journalist,sports news anchor, and television sports studio host, currently one of the main studio hosts for the NBA TV show, NBA Gametime Live. He is also the host of its show, The Beat, and has been the substitute host for Ernie Johnson on the NBA on TNT...
(2004–2007), Host - Joe SimpsonJoe Simpson (broadcaster)Joe Allen Simpson has been a radio and television broadcaster for the Atlanta Braves since 1992 and is a former Major League Baseball player.-Playing career:...
(1992–2007), Analyst - Hank Aaron (1980), Analyst
- Erin AndrewsErin AndrewsErin Jill Andrews is an American sportscaster, journalist, and television personality. As of 2011 she is a co-host of the ESPN entertainment show College GameDay and a contributor for Good Morning America on the ABC network...
(2001–2003), Host - Darrell Chaney (1982), Analyst
- Ron GantRon GantRonald Edwin "Ron" Gant is a former American Major League outfielder and second baseman earlier on who played for the Atlanta Braves , Cincinnati Reds , St...
(2004–2006), Analyst - Ernie Johnson Sr.Ernie Johnson (pitcher)Ernest Thorwald Johnson was a Major League Baseball pitcher. The 6'4", 195 lb. right-hander was signed by the Boston Braves as an amateur free agent before the season. He played for the Boston Braves , Milwaukee Braves , and Baltimore Orioles .-Playing career:After serving three years in the U.S...
(1977–1999), Play-by-play/Analyst - Ernie Johnson Jr.Ernie Johnson Jr.Ernest Johnson, Jr. is a sportscaster for Turner Sports coverage on TNT and TBS.-Childhood:Johnson went to Mother of Good Counsel for his grade school...
(1993–1996), Host - Dave O'Brien (1990–1991), Play-by-play
- Billy SampleBilly SampleWilliam Amos Sample , is a former professional baseball player who played in the Major Leagues primarily as an outfielder from 1978-1986. Sample played for the Texas Rangers , New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves ....
(1988–1989), Analyst - John SterlingJohn Sterling (sportscaster)John Sterling is an American sportscaster best known as the radio play-by-play announcer of Major League Baseball's New York Yankees. He has announced every Yankees game since .-Early life:...
(1982–1987), Play-by-play - Don Sutton (1989–2006), Analyst
- Pete Van WierenPete Van WierenPete van Wieren is a former American sportscaster best known for his long career calling play-by-play for Major League Baseball's Atlanta Braves.-Atlanta Braves:...
(1975–2006), Play-by-play
Producers
- Glenn Diamond (1982–2007) Coordinating Producer
- Gary LehmanGary LehmanGary Lehman is an American operatic tenor, specialising in the Heldentenor repertoireHe initially trained as a baritone at Youngstown State University, continued his studies at Indiana University, and as a member of the Lyric Opera Center for American Artists gave 90 performances with the Lyric...
Director - Lonnie Dale Director
- Renardo Lowe Director
- Hal Gaalema Stat Man
- Hal Kickliter Camera Man
High definition
During the 2006 season2006 Atlanta Braves season
The Atlanta Braves' 2006 season was a season in American baseball. It consisted of the Atlanta Braves attempting to win the NL East.Finishing with a 79–83 record, not only did the Braves miss the playoffs for the first time since 1990 , but also their first losing season and worst record since that...
, all Braves home games on TBS were broadcast in high definition to viewers on WTBS-DT in Atlanta and throughout the Southeast on cable packages (e.g. Comcast and Charter). It appears that the cable deals were not renewed as no TBS home games have been broadcast in HD in 2007
2007 Atlanta Braves season
The Atlanta Braves' 2007 season began with the Braves attempting to recapture the NL East title, which they relinquished for the first time since the 1990 season to the New York Mets in the 2006 season. They opened their season with a sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies.-December:*: Signed RHP...
(all home games on FSN South/SportSouth are in HD on both cable and satellite). However, TBS' new national package resulted in the creation of a dedicated HD feed.