There is integrated advertising, and then there is whatever the heck FS1 was trying to do during Houston Astros-Minnesota Twins Game 1.
FS1’s viewers were rudely interrupted during the third inning of Saturday’s ALDS game by a very poorly-placed advertisement. Instead of being tucked away on the bottom or on the side of the screen, the ad banner (promoting the Philadelphia-Atlanta NLDS Game 1 later that day) was in the most intrusive place possible — right smack in the middle of the broadcast.
Twins infielder Edouard Julien was batting at the time, and the ad covered up virtually his entire torso (and more problematically, about half of the strike zone). Astros pitcher Justin Verlander also had his head completely obstructed by the ad, making it look like Julien was taking a pitch from Ichabod Crane.
Check out the ridiculous video.
These advertisements are getting out of control. ⚾️📺
(h/t: @cjzero) pic.twitter.com/Lj2DTLSE8z
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 7, 2023
It is unclear if there was an errant green-screen kind of effect going on there or if somebody in the control room hit the wrong button. But it is safe to say the viewers did not want an advertisement for a different MLB playoff game getting in the way of the MLB playoff game that they were trying to watch.
If it is any solace for FS1, at least the glitch “only” annoyed the viewers at home. In the past, we have seen advertisements obstruct the view of fans who are sitting in the actual ballpark.
