The Home Run Derby is one of the most exciting events of the baseball season, but it got off to a rocky start on Monday night.
As the event began, ESPN's broadcast decisions were not the most popular. The network opted to go with a split screen in the broadcast, with the batter swinging on the left while the right side follows the ball and finds interesting faces in the crowd.
JAMES WOOD, OUT OF THE STADIUM 🤯 pic.twitter.com/oOpjZuEfmw
— MLB (@MLB) July 15, 2025
Theoretically, this decision should allow fans to follow both the batters swinging and the balls flying simultaneously. However, fans seemed more annoyed at the broadcast as they couldn't concentrate on both of those things at the same time.
For comparison, the ESPN 2 statcast broadcast still had a split screen, but used difference angles than the main channel.
Here's a look at the Home Run Derby on the Statcast broadcast in comparison.
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) July 15, 2025
Kevin Brown has that call for ESPN2.⚾️📺 #MLB #HomeRunDerby https://t.co/1KsjpmZlr4 pic.twitter.com/C4bRbJUzGq
Here's how fans reacted to this decision.
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Home Run Derby camera complaints
Fans watching the Home Run Derby were having a tough time following ESPN's split-screen broadcast, leading to many to complain on social media.
This @espn broadcast of the @MLB home run derby is maybe the worst television viewing experience in sports history…split screen, you can’t see anything, the follow cameras aren’t focus, it’s just a giant blur. What are we doing?
— Maxx Tissenbaum (@8_Maxx) July 15, 2025
The HR Derby is making me dizzy
— Big Cat (@BarstoolBigCat) July 15, 2025
Fire this cameraman at The MLB Home Run Derby ASAP.
— Coby’s Gambling Corner (@CobyValentine24) July 15, 2025
WTF he doing? 🤦♂️ pic.twitter.com/yfo1zDhk3r
ESPN #HRDerby camera angles: pic.twitter.com/lP6kSmMcYJ
— Ahaan Rungta (@AhaanRungta) July 15, 2025
Great job from @espn tonight giving us quite literally the worst coverage of any sporting event. This split screen camera angle at the Home Run Derby is criminal #homerunderby2025
— Braden Burcham (@braden_burcham_) July 15, 2025
This has to be the worst camera work we’ve had for a Derby
— Jack McMullen (@Jack_McMullen11) July 15, 2025
Who in the world is producing the home run derby?! These camera angles are outrageously HORRIBLE.
— James Curtin III (@jamescurtin) July 15, 2025
The Home Run Derby broadcast is always a tough one, as the network has to balance the time between the swing and ball. Still, it seems that fans liked previous broadcast decisions better than this one.
MORE 2025 HOME RUN DERBY:
- Oneil Cruz ties longest non-Coors Field HR in dazzling first round
- Jazz Chisholm Jr. disappoints with worst round since 2014
- How Cal Raleigh advanced past Brent Rooker by less than an inch
- Ball boy 'robs' Junior Caminero with leaping catch in final round
- Full list of past Home Run Derby champions