Overview

• Persistent static began in the first inning and intensified during loud moments, including the final out of the first and Anthony Volpe’s second-inning home run.
• Viewers on cable, streaming services, and the ESPN app reported the same faulty feed, with no domestic TV alternative available during the game.
• Fans also cited choppy video, frame skips, and occasional audio‑video sync problems, with some reports noting picture quality improved as the game progressed.
• Reaction on social media was swift and harsh, with users labeling the production "garbage" and "a disaster" and pleading for ESPN to fix the audio.
• The incident echoes similar postseason issues in 2024, comes in ESPN’s final Wild Card year, and precedes NBC taking over the Wild Card Series in 2026, with ESPN still set to air Game 2.