MoonBall Media Brings Athletes’ Lens to Sports Docs

Former MLB players Eric Hosmer and Anthony Seratelli talk to TV Real about their new sports-focused production company MoonBall Media.

Sports has become the latest battleground in streamers’ efforts to enlist and retain new subscribers, from top-tier events to insider docs about beloved athletes. The newly established MoonBall Media is angling for a slice of the thriving sports-content sector, beginning with a game in which its founders have a deep well of expertise: baseball.

MoonBall Media was founded last month by former baseball players Anthony Seratelli and Eric Hosmer. Hosmer’s move marks a brand-new chapter following his retirement from Major League Baseball (MLB). Throughout his career, which included stints with the Kansas City Royals, San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs, Hosmer has won a World Series and been named an All-Star Game MVP, among other accolades. His former Kansas City Royals teammate, Anthony Seratelli, transitioned into media after leaving the MLB several years ago, launching Jersey Filmmaker to develop his passion for content production.

“We go back a long way,” says Seratelli of his relationship with Hosmer, which dates back to when they were both playing within the Kansas City Royals system. “Baseball was our life. I got into making videos early in my career. I was doing goofy things with my teammates for little sketches on YouTube. All the teammates would get in on it. It filled our downtime. It became something I enjoyed. So I started studying the industry, from cinematography to lighting, and made a career out of it once I retired. I played for ten years. Eric had an even longer, more successful career on the field. Now, we’ve come full circle. We always talked about doing something like this. He always enjoyed being in the videos. He loves the storytelling. We were able to join forces when he decided he was going to [retire from the sport], and here we are.”

For Hosmer, it was important to remain around baseball following his retirement. “A lot of retired players have told me that if you want to stay in the game, you have to stay involved,” he says. “You can’t go away from the game for two or three years and try to find your way back in. It doesn’t work out too well that way. When Anthony stopped playing in 2015, he got a head start in this world. He’s now learned how to bring that storytelling to life and present it to fans. Combining our forces, my experiences and his ability to bring that to the camera and the TV was a unique opportunity. We’ve had enough time to space everything out and plan it out properly. It’s exciting now that we’re finally launched, and we’re able to start doing the physical work.”

MoonBall will be rooting some of its content in baseball, but Seratelli notes that the venture aims to be “sports-centric” in developing new ideas. “We have a bull riding documentary we’re working on. We have another to do with firefighters. We want to tell human stories. We’re going to dive deep into people’s lives. Our podcast is called Diggin’ Deep. We honestly use that throughout our entire business. We’re digging deep into human lives in the sports world. We’re trying to do formatted shows as well. If a former football player likes to bake, can we do a baking show around that? We’ll center it in sports, but we’re just looking to tell great stories.”

Reflecting on the rising interest in content around sports figures, Hosmer notes: “Athletes have always been wired to be private. Your private life is your private life, and then publicly, you play sports, and that is well-documented throughout the world. A lot more athletes now enjoy telling their stories on their own platforms and how they want to do it. A lot of athletes feel more comfortable sharing their stories from athlete to athlete. That’s one thing I’m excited about with Diggin’ Deep. Throughout my career, I’ve enjoyed watching guys in their day-to-day, their process and how they prepared for a game. Our other co-host, Justin Su’a, is a process and development coach. By sharing that experience, we can help a lot of people and bring some entertainment to people. That’s what we’re looking to do.”

MoonBall is taking a platform-agnostic approach to the market, including planning for its own FAST channel. “We’re partnering with leagues that are not mainstream: Major League Wiffle Ball, the Women’s Football Alliance,” Seratelli says. “We’re trying to lift them and give them another platform for distribution so that they can reach more audiences.”