First TV Baseball Game: Red Barber Calls the Action
Red Barber broadcast the first televised Major League Baseball game on W2XBS, calling the Brooklyn Dodgers versus Cincinnati Reds doubleheader at Ebbets Field without a monitor or clear view of the action. He guessed camera angles by watching lights while two cameras—one focused on him and one behind home plate—captured the Reds' 5–2 victory and the Dodgers' 6–1 win. This broadcast launched the era of televised sports, transforming how fans consumed live events forever.
August 26, 1939
87 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on August 26
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