Answering the call for more coverage, the Bassmaster LIVE crew will add a preview show the day before Bassmaster Elite Series tournaments and the Bassmaster Classic this year.
“The need for people to talk about sports is always there. We see it all week long, especially right now leading up to the Super Bowl,” said Mike McKinnis, B.A.S.S. VP of media content. “Every sports network is producing studio shows all week, talking heads bantering about the upcoming events.”
“So for Bassmaster LIVE, we’re going to jump in the seats a day early and produce a 30- to 60-minute preview show, primarily on those Wednesdays. It will preview the season, the event, the lake and the conditions, and talk about the favorites. We’re going to interview anglers, get their take on the fishery, hear what they’re thinking before they go out on Day 1 of competition.”
Bassmaster LIVE will officially start coverage of the 2023 Elite Series season at 9 a.m. ET on Wednesday, the day before anglers launch for the SiteOne Bassmaster Elite at Lake Okeechobee. The previews will be streamed live on Bassmaster.com and recorded for viewers to access any time.
Live tournament coverage begins Thursday and Friday at 8 a.m. ET on Bassmaster.com. On weekend mornings at 8 a.m., FS1 along with FOX Sports platforms and Tubi will broadcast Bassmaster LIVE with cameras on each of the Top 10 anglers’ boats. Most of the FOX broadcasts will be three hours long, with afternoon coverage switching back to Bassmaster.com, where the live weigh-ins will follow shortly after.
Tommy Sanders and Ronnie Moore will serve as preview show hosts from the Bassmaster studio in Little Rock, Ark. Mark Zona will provide analysis, and depending on availability because of travel, Davy Hite and Dave Mercer will report from the venue.
“Tommy and Ronnie will give the rundown, and we’ll visit with Zona to help us break down the event,” McKinnis said. “With Davy Hite and Dave Mercer at events, they’ll be able to interview anglers during practice and get their take on the conditions and expectations.”
B.A.S.S. is entering the third year of its four-year contract with FOX, which calls for at least 60 hours of LIVE programming on FOX Sports Networks. Last year, the Bassmaster LIVE crew produced more than 300 hours of live content, of which FOX aired 72.5 hours. The 2023 schedule already has around 83 hours on FOX Sports, with potential for more.
FOX has also re-aired 254.5 hours of Bassmaster shows throughout the year, which added to a total viewership on FOX/FS1/FS2 of 14.5 million. According to Nielsen ratings, viewing consumption of FOX Sports has grown 6% over the past decade while several other sports networks have lost viewership.
With a field of 104 anglers for 2023, the nine Elite events will cut to the Top 50 after two days with the Top 10 advancing to the finale in a quest for the $100,000 first-place prize and Bassmaster Angler of the Year points.
There will also be a twist to coverage of the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic, this year back on the Tennessee River out of Knoxville, Tenn., March 24-26.
After Bassmaster.com airs Friday’s Day 1 Classic action, FS1 will broadcast from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. ET on Saturday and 11 a.m. to noon ET on Sunday before switching to the main FOX channel from noon to 3 p.m. ET. Also, a Super Six Finale show will air on FS1 from 10 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. ET.