The Atlanta Braves have named a new broadcaster in Brandon Gaudin, though he may never call a game for Bally Sports South.
Brandon Gaudin may not be a familiar name for baseball fans, but anyone who plays EA Sports Madden video game should recognize his voice. Gaudin is the official broadcast voice of the Madden franchise, which he has held since the 2017 version of the game.
Gaudin will make his transition to the baseball diamond, which has been a lifelong dream of his.
"Today is the realization of a childhood dream," said Gaudin, per a press release. "I get to be behind the mic for the team I grew up idolizing. And the team who fostered my love for both sports and broadcasting. I'm grateful to both the Braves and Bally Sports for this incredible opportunity. I cannot wait to work alongside this team and talented broadcast crew."
Atlanta Braves news: Will Brandon Gaudin broadcast on Bally Sports?
While Gaudin is primarily known for Madden, he has also broadcast games in college football, MLB and the NFL for FOX Sports and Big Ten Network.
While Gaudin as of right now would make the transition to Bally Sports, there's no guarantee that the regional network will survive the MLB season.
Diamond Sports Group, the parent company of Bally Sports, had to skip its payment for broadcast rights to 42 professional sports teams due to crippling debt. The future of the Bally Sports regional networks are up in the air.
"Our Bally RSNs have been negatively impacted by elevated levels of subscriber erosion which we believe was influenced in part by shifting consumer behaviors resulting from media fragmentation, the current economic environment and related uncertainties," Diamond said in its financial statement for the quarter ending Sept. 30. "These factors are expected to have a negative impact on future projected revenues and margins of our Bally RSNs."
Rob Manfred has said he would step in and find an alternative route to local broadcasting for fans. MLB already struggles with blackouts, a hot topic for baseball fans in recent years as the sport declines in popularity.
The Braves are owned by Liberty Media. They could, in theory, create their own network to broadcast the team should they choose.