The iPhone 17 Pro was used to broadcast a live sports match for the first time
By ForGeeks
Apple decided to test the iPhone 17 Pro’s capabilities in a live broadcast environment. During the “Friday Night Baseball” game between the Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox on Apple TV+, the broadcast included footage shot on a smartphone for the first time. The event was the biggest test yet of the “Shot on iPhone” campaign.
How the iPhone was used at the stadium
The broadcast team set up four iPhone 17 Pro’s throughout Fenway Park to capture live footage. Cameras were placed in the home locker rooms, inside the iconic Green Monster wall, and used a mobile RF camera moving around the stadium. Smartphones captured everything from warm-ups and player introductions to the atmosphere among the fans.
To make sure viewers understood what footage was captured on the iPhone, Apple added special graphic overlays to the broadcast. The company emphasized that the smartphone provides unusual angles that are difficult to get with traditional professional cameras.
Why it matters
For Apple, this move is not only a technology showcase, but a challenge to itself. Unlike past campaigns, where the videos were shot in a completely controlled environment, the iPhone now had to work in the chaotic and unpredictable air of a national sporting event. There is no way to hide the flaws here.
Competitors like Samsung are also using similar campaigns, including “Shot on Galaxy” with short films. Apple itself had its entire Mac “Scary Fast” presentation in 2023 filmed on an iPhone 15 Pro Max. But all of those projects remained staged. The current experiment is the first time a smartphone is used on par with professional cameras in a live broadcast.
New Opportunities for Content Creators
The use of the iPhone in MLB broadcasts shows that the barrier to creating quality video is even lower than previously thought. For content creators, it’s a signal: professional-grade tools are becoming available without studio equipment.
It’s also an opportunity for MLB and Apple to experiment with creative, “intimate” angles – like filming from the locker room or from inside the Green Monster. Such solutions complement innovations already in use, like drones and cameras on umpires.
