SiriusXM will produce and broadcast an original three-part radio series that will take a “reality style” look at the Texas Rangers, allowing fans to experience many facets of life with a big league ball club.
Deep in the Heart of Texas: Behind the Scenes with the 2016 Rangers will air three consecutive days – March 28, 29 and 30 – at 6:00 pm ET/5:00 pm CT. Each one-hour episode, narrated by SiriusXM’s Casey Stern, will air on SiriusXM’s 24/7 baseball channel, MLB Network Radio (available nationwide on SiriusXM satellite radios and the SiriusXM app).
SiriusXM’s crew embedded themselves with the franchise this spring, accompanying team members in the clubhouse, on the field, on the team bus, and during their spare time away from the ballpark to give the audience an in-depth, often lighthearted perspective on the team’s personalities as they go through spring training.
Among the moments listeners will experience on Deep in the Heart of Texas:
- Conversations with the players on the team bus as the Rangers travelled to Goodyear, AZ to play the Indians.
- Play-by-play of the team free throw shooting tournament.
- Celebrity impressions by pitcher Derek Holland.
- Long form one-on-one interviews with stars Josh Hamilton and Adrian Beltre, manager Jeff Banister and general manager Jon Daniels.
- Pitcher AJ Griffin performing John Legend’s greatest hits.
- A lengthy dinner conversation with veteran pitcher Jeremy Guthrie, featuring his thoughts on food, reality television, his future in baseball, and his musical tastes.
- A Spin Class session with pitcher Colby Lewis (and his unsuccessful attempt to guide host Casey Stern through the workout).
“We are very pleased and grateful that the Texas Rangers gave us the in-depth access to create a one-of-a-kind show like this,” said Steve Cohen, SiriusXM’s SVP of Sports Programming. “Fans love the opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look at teams, and so we’ve produced Deep in the Heart of Texas in a way that will give our listeners a truly unique perspective on the Rangers. Our goal is to make you feel like you are tagging along with these players, not only as they are preparing for the season on the field, but as they are having fun and letting off steam away from it.”
After the debut, the series will be available to subscribers on SiriusXM On Demand. It will also replay in its entirety on April 2 starting at 4:00 pm ET/3:00 pm CT.