High-flying fun is coming to broadcast TV after it was announced that The CW is airing “Banana Ball” later this summer. The Savannah Bananas are making their broadcast debut on Sunday, July 27 at 3:00 PM ET, live from the sold-out Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.
Known for transforming traditional baseball into a sideshow of comedy, energy, and spectacle, the Bananas are a clash of minor-league baseball and the Harlem Globetrotters, offering a unique sports and entertainment experience. There will be more than 40,000 fans in attendance for their broadcast TV debut.
“The Savannah Bananas have taken the sports world by storm through their high-energy blend of baseball and entertainment that connects with viewers of all ages,” said Mike Perman, Senior Vice President, CW Sports. “We are thrilled to partner with them for their broadcast television debut, and we cannot wait to bring our audience every unpredictable play in front of what promises to be an electric atmosphere in Philadelphia.”
Since 2016, the Bananas have played at Savannah’s historic Grayson Stadium, consistently packing the stands with their unique blend of fast-paced rules, choreographed dance routines between innings, flaming bats, and gravity-defying celebrations whenever someone scores. Unlike exhibition acts that know exactly how things will play out, Banana Ball remains competitive while keeping the focus on outrageous entertainment. This entertainment version of baseball moves at warp speed, and fans are just as likely to see a pre-game dance-off as they are a home run.
“Banana Ball on The CW is a no-brainer,” said Jesse Cole, founder and CEO of the Savannah Bananas. “After seeing their recent commitment to sports, we knew this could be a great partnership. With the speed and entertainment of Banana Ball, we look forward to creating new fans together in the years to come.”
The addition of the Bananas comes after it was reported that CW Sports is interested in adding more college football games. The Bananas are joining the network’s growing lineup of live sports programming, which includes WWE NXT, NASCAR Xfinity Series, ACC and Pac-12 football, and much more. With more than 9.8 million followers on TikTok, the Bananas are bringing their huge following to the fifth major broadcast network.