iPhone 17 Pro Debuts in Live MLB Broadcast with Blackmagic ProDock

The iPhone has been steadily gaining ground in film and TV production. But Apple TV+’s Friday Night Baseball saw it integrated into a live sports broadcast for the first time thanks to the new Blackmagic ProDock.

The iPhone 17 Pro's use in the Tigers vs Red Sox clash from Fenway Park on Friday night feels like a watershed as it was just part of the camera package for the broadcast. "It will be the first time an iPhone will be used publicly in the live broadcast of a professional sporting event," stated the MLB before the game.

The only difference that you saw as a viewer was that the iPhone shots were flagged by a discreet graphic in the top right every time they were used.

You can see the [Shot on iPhone] overlay top right. Pic: Apple TV+ 

The enabling technology here, apart from the iPhone 17 Pro itself, is the new Blackmagic ProDock. Amongst other things this enables the genlock functionality that means that the iPhones can be integrated seamlessly into the broadcast. Each device outputs an HDMI feed, which is converted to SDI and carried over fiber into the broadcast truck.

Four were used on Friday night to capture video from multiple positions inside Fenway, including the home dugout, inside the Green Monster, and via a roaming handheld. 

The Blackmagic Camera App is used for exposure, white balance, and zoom, and ensuring color matching with the other units in the broadcast. Essentially, the four iPhones just became another source for the director to switch to. The on-screen overlay that told the viewer they were watching Apple-sourced images seems to be more about advertising than anything.

The setup was tested at the previous week's Friday Night game in LA, and seems to have passed its Boston deployment with flying colors. Apple TV's MLB coverage is divisive among the fans, but while we haven't watched all the match yet, from what we have seen it was impressive in that it was unnoticeable. The Prime Directive of sports OB is always that the kit is bulletproof. That the iPhone and ProDock combination is considered robust enough for live sports is a definite and impressive tick in its box.