July 21, 2021

By J.P. Antonacci

Canadian Baseball Network

Glen Munford has a lofty goal for his Manitoba-based online sports network, Amateur Sports TV.

“I want to be the third-largest broadcaster in Canada behind TSN and Sportsnet,” Munford said.

How to measure ratings is more complicated in the digital age – and it’s online where Munford says his nimble network has the advantage.

“Our broadcasts are no different than TSN or Sportsnet, and it all runs off an iPad,” he explained.

“I’ve stood beside a TSN crew where they’ve said to me, ‘We’ve got a $2-million truck outside, and you have a $495 iPad that’s doing the exact same thing.

“That’s the way it’s going to go for everything. Look at how much Sportsnet is pushing online,” Munford continued.

“Even two years ago, they never ran an ad on TV that said ‘watch online.’ And now they have those ads all the time.”

In less than seven years, ASTV has carved out a global presence, thanks to a vast network of freelance broadcasters and camera operators from Brandon to Bangkok.

ASTV airs New Zealand baseball, Thai hockey and a multitude of North American amateur sports, with plans to expand to Sweden and Switzerland.

That’s on top of broadcasting high school and college baseball in Florida, along with junior baseball, hockey, lacrosse, soccer and football games in several U.S. states, Western Canada and Ontario.

“I want to have enough content of enough sports to satisfy not only the public but our advertisers,” Munford said.

How does a network from the Prairies get involved with Thai hockey or New Zealand baseball?

“Because of what we do, a lot of people come to us,” Munford said. “We are one of the few out there that can do a nine-camera production, no different than TSN or ESPN.”

Most online broadcasts of amateur sports use one camera and stream the game without commentary. ASTV, on the other hand, sends a seven-person crew to broadcast a Saskatchewan Premier League or Manitoba Junior Baseball League game.

“We always say that we’re not a streaming service, we’re a broadcasting service. We will not do anything that’s not play-by-play and colour,” Munford said, meaning each game gets at least four camera operators, a producer and two local broadcasters.

Broadcasts include pregame and post-game shows, interviews with players and coaches, and in-game highlight reels.

“Anything you see in a Blue Jays game on Sportsnet, we can do,” Munford said.

“And we’re free to watch. A lot of these one-camera systems are pay-to-view. We refuse to go that route.”

The network is supported by advertisers and revenue from leagues and teams that pay ASTV to air their games.

And people are watching. In pre-COVID times, ASTV’s broadcasts and sports-themed shows had a total monthly audience of over 330,000 people. They watched on laptops, smartphones and TV screens, and in bars and restaurants across Canada.

“We developed a media player and software, so we put a TV in a bar and update it with local sports and scores right from here,” Munford said.

With the pandemic halting live sports, ASTV produced talk shows focused on farming, business and real estate, along with live broadcasts of local council meetings and other events.

Munford said the network lost roughly $250,000 in revenue due to COVID-19 and had to delay plans to expand their online TV and radio shows. But enough advertisers stuck with ASTV to give Munford’s small team of core employees the chance to retool their software and lay the groundwork to enhance future broadcasts.

“It allowed us to take a step back and say, okay, where are we going and how do we want to get there?” he said.

Back on the air

Now that the Manitoba Junior Baseball League is back in action, Munford can again focus on his true passion – celebrating amateur athletes.

“In Manitoba, if you’re outside of Winnipeg, (media outlets) don’t care. If you’re not the Jets, the Moose or the Bombers, there’s no reporting on it,” he said.

“These kids are just as important. I’m a huge WHL (Western Hockey League) fan because these kids are playing with heart. I’m a junior baseball fan because those kids are playing with heart. They’re not playing for money. They’re playing for the love of the game.

“I’m not saying the Blue jays players aren’t playing for the love of the game, but it sure helps when somebody’s paying you eight million dollars a year to do it. These young kids, it’s all heart and wanting to get to the next level. That’s why we started this – to help those kids get recognized.”

MJBL president Jamie Bettens says ASTV’s broadcasts and baseball-themed shows are a hit with fans in Manitoba and beyond.

“It really just boosts the profile of the league and certainly adds a level of legitimacy that we didn’t have before,” Bettens said.

“The fact that grandparents and relatives from other provinces or anywhere else want to catch the game, that’s a big thing for us.”

Munford said it’s an “awesome” feeling to bring games to family members living far away.

“We’ve had viewers from England to Australia to Paraguay watch a local game in Manitoba because somebody’s never seen their niece or nephew play,” he said.

“It’s 3 o’clock in the morning and Mom’s emailing us, thanking us because she’s able to watch the game.”

With no fans allowed in the stands this season, ASTV broadcasts are a vital lifeline for Manitobans to watch their favourite teams.

The network is only limited by internet connectivity at rural ballparks, not all of which can support 5G streaming. Bettens said ASTV currently broadcasts “about 30 to 40 per cent” of MJBL games from select stadiums.

He hopes to add more broadcasts in the coming seasons and use ASTV’s professional product and wide audience reach to lure more local and national advertisers looking for multi-city platforms.

“That is the next level that we’re going to try to tap into,” Bettens said, adding he is “absolutely elated” to have teams back on the field.

“It’s not about championships, it’s about our players just getting back to playing and seeing each other face to face, and establishing those relationships again,” he said.

“All of our teams are following the (COVID) protocols. The phone calls I’m getting every night are either scores or complaining about an umpire’s call, so I know things are going pretty good.”

Helping hand for scouts

The return to play in Manitoba means one of ASTV’s most important audience segments is again tuning in. Scouts from U.S. colleges, independent leagues and the pro ranks can contact the network and arrange to have a dedicated camera follow a player they want a closer look at.

“I don’t know anyone else who can do this,” Munford said.

“If a scout says, ‘I want everything on number five tonight,’ I can actually broadcast that player right back to the scout while he sits in his house in Texas. And if I have five cameras doing a broadcast, I can hand a scout five different angles of that game.”

This customized service helps Bettens – who routinely gets calls from American coaches asking about MJBL players – showcase the talent in the league.

“Instead of asking that specific player to get Mom or Dad to video their bullpen or game situation, now I can say, ‘Player X is playing at 7 o’clock on ASTV,’” he said.

Providing dedicated footage is especially helpful during the pandemic, with American college recruiters and scouts unable to cross the border.

“That’s the only way they’ve been able to see our players aside from looking at stats on our website, which is not always a telling way of evaluating a player,” Bettens said.

“They also can probably dig and find an interview with that player and get a little bit of a look at their personality. So there really are a lot of hidden extra benefits that you don’t realize until you embrace the (ASTV) product.”

Bettens said it’s not unusual for players from Manitoba to be recruited by U.S. colleges.

“In the last two years, a lot of them would have had a positive effect tied to ASTV,” he said.

That’s music to Munford’s ears.

“That’s why I started this,” he said.

“Yes, we’re in it to make money, but at the end of the day, it’s making sure that these young athletes get the recognition they deserve. And at the same turn allowing grandma and grandpa to be able to watch the game.”

Stay tuned

With the pandemic seemingly on the wane in Canada, Munford is looking ahead to ASTV expanding in 2022.

If all goes well, the network will air 10 to 12 hours of daily online sports shows and launch 14 online radio stations covering professional and amateur sports. That’s in addition to the plethora of broadcasts from the network’s current roster of leagues, along with new additions in Quebec, Minnesota and the Maritime provinces.

“I have three leagues that want me in Ontario (and) we’re in talks with Alberta baseball,” Munford said.

The network is also about to launch Roku, Amazon Fire and Apple TV apps, with the potential to reach millions of users.

Bettens is just as excited as Munford to see what the future holds for ASTV.

“Glen’s a great guy, and the best thing about him is what you see is what you get. His intentions are completely pure,” Bettens said.

“It’s all about getting amateur sport out. His idea of profit is revenue generation so he can do more broadcasts. You’re not going to find people like that.

“These guys are a huge secret, and once they’ve perfected the model, I think they’re really onto something here.”