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BOSTON – The 2024 season will be one in which the Red Sox give viewers around the world a rare opportunity to sneak behind the curtain and see what the grind of a Major League season is all about.
It was announced Wednesday that Netflix, in conjunction with MLB Studios, will have unprecedented access to follow the ’24 Red Sox from start to finish.
That access will become a docuseries that will debut in 2025.
This is the first time Netflix has followed an MLB team for an entire season.
Netflix will have behind-the-scenes access to players, coaches and executives from spring training through the end of the 2024 season.
The process began in 2021, as a broader discussion between Netflix, MLB and leaders of the Red Sox ownership group about the opportunity to increase baseball’s reach.
“It wouldn’t necessarily be about the Red Sox. It was just more about the importance of bringing baseball to this medium, these types of docuseries and global platform opportunities,” said Red Sox chief marketing officer Adam Grossman.
So how did the Red Sox become the focus of the project?
“MLB took some time to come up with the concept,” Grossman said. “What would make the most sense from a baseball standpoint, from an industry standpoint? Are they leagues, are they players, multiple teams or specific teams? It could be many different ways. And over the course of the year, I think they came to the conclusion that it would probably be better, given the slog nature of a season, to field just one team. So the question was, which team would do it?”
After months of discussions, which included conversations with the front office, players and coaching staff, the Red Sox became willing participants.
“This is one of the largest marketing initiatives we have ever undertaken,” said Red Sox President and CEO Sam Kennedy. “When we began formally discussing this opportunity almost 18 months ago, we emphasized to our players that the decision to pursue this project would ultimately be up to them. “I am proud of our players, (manager) Alex Cora and our baseball operations leadership for having the courage to embrace such a project and open our clubhouse and Fenway Park to a truly global audience.”
Cora expressed excitement about the project and how it can shed a unique light on players.
“We’re going to take advantage of this experience from the first day of filming to the last,” Cora said. “This is an incredible opportunity for the entire Red Sox organization, but what excites me most is what this means for our players. “Netflix will be able to magnify their stories in a way that Major League Baseball has never seen.”
Given the character development the film crew envisions, there was no point in rushing the episodes, hence the planned release for the 25th.
“And that’s an important piece, because the stories and the editing process will be of much more personal and human interest than some sort of tick-tock of the season,” Grossman said.
The acceptance of the players was vital for the Red Sox brass. Without him, the project would not have come to fruition.
“Sam had said that ultimately the players had to accept this,” Grossman said. “This will not be a top-down mandate at all. This must be accepted by the players. And they need to have a full understanding and have their eyes wide open about what it is, what it isn’t, what the process is and all that.”
Red Sox assistant general manager Raquel Ferreira was instrumental in communicating to the players what kind of opportunity this could be.
“This is a unique opportunity that the players didn’t want to pass up,” said Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story. “I’ve enjoyed behind-the-scenes access on other Netflix sports documentaries, and now we can give fans an unparalleled look at the passion, sacrifice and hard work it takes to be a Major League Baseball player.”
“Another point: We don’t get paid for this, nor do the players,” Grossman said. “It’s really about marketing and growing the game of baseball around the world. So I think it’s important for people to recognize that as well.”
In addition to the project about the ’24 team, Netflix and MLB announced Wednesday that there will be a retrospective documentary series about the unforgettable 2004 Red Sox, who will celebrate their 20th anniversary this year. That docuseries will debut “later in 2024,” according to the press release.
“Baseball is driven by the incredible stories of our athletes,” said Noah Garden, MLB deputy commissioner for business and media. “Partnering with Netflix for these two exciting projects is a tremendous opportunity to not only bring our avid fans closer to the game they love, but also to introduce new audiences to the undeniable excitement that baseball evokes.”
The two docuseries will give the Red Sox greater visibility, given that Netflix has more than 260 million paid memberships.