Apple TV ‘drops Katie Nolan and Melanie Newman as MLB announcers

Announcers Katie Nolan and Melanie Newman will not be back for Apple TV’s Major League Baseball coverage, but the streaming service is expected to hire Fox Sports’ Dontrelle Willis, according to the New York Post.

Nolan, a former ESPN and Fox Sports host, and Newman, who also calls Baltimore Orioles games, joined Apple TV+ for its inaugural season streaming Friday night MLB games in 2022.

Now, the Post’s Andrew Marchand is reporting that Willis, a former Marlins pitcher, will serve as a game analyst, while Wayne Randazzo will return as play-by-play announcer.

Apple spokespeople did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com’s request for comment and declined to speak with the Post.

Nolan did not have much in-game announcing experience prior to joining Apple TV, but was part of an experiment to bring a comedic element to baseball broadcasts.

‘When I found out what it was, I was like, ‘Are they confused? Do they know what I do?’ Nolan said on Kenny Mayne’s podcast in November. ‘What it was and how crazy of an idea it was, combined with the secrecy really had me like, ‘Something’s up. They’re joking, this is a mistake.’

‘Somebody unsealed the wrong document. This isn’t the one they meant to give me because this says in the booth and that’s just not a thing.

‘And then I got on the phone with them and they sold me on the idea of me,’ she continued. ‘They sold me on the idea of this vision they had for a baseball booth. As with most things that start as visions, they don’t always end up being executed the same way.’

Newman, a play-by-play announcer, did not work with Nolan, who was instead paired with Stephen Nelson and former MLB outfielder Hunter Pence. Pence is expected to return for the 2023 season, while Nelson has signed to call some Los Angeles Dodgers games, leaving his future with Apple TV up in the air.

Baseball fans have been divided over the news of her and Newman’s departures.

‘I really wished they returned, they did an excellent job on Friday Night Baseball’s debut season, which was last year,’ wrote one fan.

‘That’s too bad,’ wrote Western Massachusetts reporter Matt Price. ‘I thought they did a good job.’

‘Shame,’ another fan tweeted. ‘Melanie was actually good. Oh well.’

Others were pleased to see them go.

‘Good, maybe they’ll actually talk baseball in the booth now,’ read one tweet.

‘Made the games borderline unwatchable IMO,’ another fan tweeted. ‘Needed changed ASAP.’

Newman is expected to continue with the Orioles and with MLB Network, according to Marchand.