New Baseball Special “Batboy” Premieres Monday, April 5 on Disney XD
via Disney XD press release:
“BATBOY,” A SHORT FORM SPECIAL PRODUCED BY MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PRODUCTIONS, TO DEBUT MONDAY, APRIL 5 (7:00 P.M., ET/PT) ON DISNEY XD
Kids and tweens get a rare look into “the big leagues” through the eyes of a Major League batboy, in “Batboy,” a short-form reality special premiering on baseball’s Opening Day, MONDAY, APRIL 5 (7:00 p.m., ET/PT) on Disney XD, followed by multiple presentations throughout the week. It is produced by Major League Baseball Productions.
Coinciding with the start of baseball season, the special follows Daniel Chelgren, a teenage batboy with the Arizona Diamondbacks, and gives young viewers a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to be part of an MLB team, including shagging fly balls during batting practice, handling pre-game equipment prep and reviewing game strategy in the dugout with the professionals.
Surrounding the premiere of “Batboy,” Disney XD will present an evening of sports-themed programming including the feature film “The Sandlot: Heading Home” (5:00 p.m., ET/PT), starring Luke Perry as a baseball superstar who travels back in time to save the team’s beloved sandlot field, and a new episode of the comedy series “Zeke and Luther” (7:30–8:00 p.m., ET/PT), in which Luther promises Zeke that he will let Ozzie win a boxing match. Hutch Dano, Adam Hicks star; Nate Hartley guest stars.
Disney XD launched on television and online in February 2009 with a mix of live-action and animated programming for kids age 6-14, hyper-targeting boys and their quest for discovery, accomplishment, sports themes, adventure and humor. Its content, which includes animated and live-action series and movies as well as music, gaming, and sports-themes, is available on the linear channel, online, as well as on iTunes, Xbox 360, mobile phones, SVOD and more. Its mission is to help boys and girls feel empowered and confident in themselves.
Disney XD quickly made its mark and, year to year, its ratings increased by 41% among Kids 6-14, by 59% among Tweens 9-14, by 33% among Boys 6-11 and by 62% among Boys 9-14 in Total Day measurements. On TV Disney XD now reaches over 76 million U.S. homes and hundreds of millions more through newly rebranded Disney XD channels in Europe, Latin America and Japan. Online, DisneyXD.com delivered nearly 2.3 million monthly unique users in January 2010, outpacing its previous high of 2.0 million in July 2009.
Major League Baseball Productions is the Emmy® Award-winning television and video production division of Major League Baseball and the official video archivists of the game. With unparalleled access to the Clubs and their players, Major League Baseball Productions produces original programming for growing audiences worldwide through its network specials, exclusive home videos, commercials and other specialty programming. For more information on Major League Baseball Productions, log on to www.MLBProductions.com.
Disney XD is a basic cable channel and multi-platform brand showcasing a compelling mix of live-action and animated programming for Kids age 6-14, hyper-targeting boys and their quest for discovery, accomplishment, sports, adventure and humor. Disney XD branded content spans television, online, mobile and VOD platforms. The programming includes series, movies and short-form, as well as sports-themed programming developed with ESPN. In the U.S., Disney XD is seen on a 24-hour, advertiser supported network that reaches over 76 million households via its basic cable affiliates. Disney XD recently launched in the UK, France, Spain, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Poland, Greece, Turkey, Latin America and Japan.