Richmond Flying Squirrels leverage Grass Valley to boost minor league production

This deployment signals a shift as minor league organizations adopt tier-one broadcast infrastructure previously reserved for major markets. By integrating HDR-capable hardware and cloud-ready grading tools, teams like the Flying Squirrels are closing the quality gap between local and national sports streaming. As MLB partners and regional networks demand higher-fidelity feeds for distributed platforms, smaller venues must invest in professional-grade acquisition to maintain broadcast consistency. This move highlights the growing commoditization of high-end production tech, allowing regional clubs to meet the rising expectations of streaming subscribers and broadcast partners alike. Watch for other MiLB teams to announce similar hardware refreshes as 2026 stadium compliance deadlines approach.

The Richmond Flying Squirrels' technology refresh coincides with a significant pivot in Major League Baseball’s media rights landscape. Per Media Play News in November 2025, MLB secured new three-year agreements with Netflix, NBCUniversal, and ESPN starting in the 2026 season. These deals expand live access via the ESPN Unlimited standalone subscription and mark Netflix's first foray into live baseball events. As national platforms take a larger role in game distribution, the pressure on regional affiliates to provide high-quality, reliable feeds has intensified to ensure a seamless viewer experience across both legacy broadcast and digital platforms. Locally, the Flying Squirrels expanded their reach in April 2026 by partnering with CW Richmond to televise select games for free over-the-air, while also maintaining availability on MLB.TV and MiLB.TV. This multi-platform strategy requires the visual consistency provided by professional-grade hardware like the LDX 110 to satisfy both local television audiences and international streaming subscribers. At the same time, the wider Minor League Baseball ecosystem is undergoing massive capital investment. According to Sports Business Journal in January 2025, MiLB ballpark spending is expected to reach $1 billion in 2026, largely driven by strict Professional Development League (PDL) facility standards. While these standards focus heavily on player-facing infrastructure like batting cages and weight rooms, the competitive nature of the PDL system has spurred clubs to treat broadcast capabilities as a core component of stadium modernization. Grass Valley’s introduction of the LDX 110 in late 2024 specifically targeted this 'lower-tier' sports market by offering 3x speed UHD capture at more accessible price points. As noted by Broadcast Tech in April 2026, the LDX 110 was designed to provide an affordable pathway to slow-motion capture and high-quality imaging for organizations that previously found top-spec cinematic cameras cost-prohibitive.