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ESPN, Savannah Bananas Strike Deal to Air 10 of Team's Games This Summer

Baseball's whimsical revolution will be televised.

Patrick Andres

Bill LeRoy congratulates Travis Hunter after his first pitch at a Savannah Bananas game.
Bill LeRoy congratulates Travis Hunter after his first pitch at a Savannah Bananas game. / Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The 21st century was crying out for the Savannah Bananas.

In the 20th century—before the advent of mass media—Americans flocked to barnstorming sports exhibitions as respites from difficult lives. Baseball was rife with traveling teams and games, which often showcased the kind of integration not yet sanctioned in MLB. Early pro football was basically a network of nomadic squads, and barnstorming basketball has survived into modern times in the form of the Harlem Globetrotters.

When the Bananas debuted their whimsical "Banana Ball" format in 2018, it scratched an itch for fans tired of a staid, technocratic, then-pre-pitch-clock MLB. Since then, the team has become a major draw, and on Monday ESPN announced it would air 10 of its game in the summer of 2025.

“The Savannah Bananas have mastered the art of blending baseball with entertainment, creating an experience that resonates with fans of all ages, regardless of their baseball knowledge,” said Brent Colborne, ESPN Vice President of Programming & Content Strategy in a statement. “Their unique approach embodies two of ESPN’s key goals: reaching new audiences and inspiring the next generation of youth athletes.”

Seven of the games will be played at MLB stadiums, two at NFL stadiums, and one at Clemson's Memorial Stadium. Eight of the games will air on ESPN2, while two—at Fenway Park on July 5 and Camden Yards on Aug. 1—will air on ESPN.

The broadcasts will seemingly provide all the fun of barnstorming baseball, with the air conditioning and DVR capabilities your ancestors didn't have watching Mel Ott.

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Patrick Andres
PATRICK ANDRES

Patrick Andres is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in December 2022, having worked for The Blade, Athlon Sports, Fear the Sword and Diamond Digest. Andres has covered everything from zero-attendance Big Ten basketball to a seven-overtime college football game. He is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism with a double major in history .

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