Photo by: Columbia University Athletics
Columbia Celebrates 80th Anniversary of First Live Televised Sporting Event in United States
5/16/2019 10:02:00 AM | Baseball, General
On May 17, 1939, the first live televised sporting event in the United States was telecast live from Baker Field: a college baseball game between Columbia and Princeton.
NEW YORK—Columbia University and Columbia Athletics celebrate the 80th anniversary of the first live televised sporting event in the United States: a college baseball game between Columbia and Princeton played at Baker Field and broadcast by the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) on May 17, 1939.
The live broadcast was a result of a suggestion made by Bob Harron, Columbia's sports information director at the time and later assistant to the president of the university. NBC showed Harron this new medium called television, which was unveiled at the 1939 World Fair. Harron's response: "Did you ever think of doing a sporting event?"
The result on May 17, 1939 was an NBC televised Columbia-Princeton baseball game, the second half of a doubleheader, with the legendary Bill Stern calling the action. The telecast received extensive media coverage including stories in the New York Times and Life Magazine. Princeton ended up defeating Columbia 2-1 in a 10-inning game.
NBC carried the game live to 400 or so television sets capable of receiving its broadcast signal. Satisfied with the results, NBC decided to try broadcasting a Major League Baseball game and achieved that goal three months later at Brooklyn's Ebbets Field.
The world's first televised sporting event had been the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany.
Throughout history, Columbia University's and Columbia Athletics' ties to sports television are deep. Graduate Roone Arledge '52, an American sports, and news broadcasting executive, is best known as the founder of Monday Night Football, ABC World News Tonight, Primetime, Nightline and 20/20. One of Columbia's top all-time running backs in football Louis Kusserow '49 became an NBC producer and one of Columbia's best basketball players Chet Forte '57 became a director of Monday Night Football and other events for ABC.
The live broadcast was a result of a suggestion made by Bob Harron, Columbia's sports information director at the time and later assistant to the president of the university. NBC showed Harron this new medium called television, which was unveiled at the 1939 World Fair. Harron's response: "Did you ever think of doing a sporting event?"
The result on May 17, 1939 was an NBC televised Columbia-Princeton baseball game, the second half of a doubleheader, with the legendary Bill Stern calling the action. The telecast received extensive media coverage including stories in the New York Times and Life Magazine. Princeton ended up defeating Columbia 2-1 in a 10-inning game.
NBC carried the game live to 400 or so television sets capable of receiving its broadcast signal. Satisfied with the results, NBC decided to try broadcasting a Major League Baseball game and achieved that goal three months later at Brooklyn's Ebbets Field.
The world's first televised sporting event had been the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany.
Throughout history, Columbia University's and Columbia Athletics' ties to sports television are deep. Graduate Roone Arledge '52, an American sports, and news broadcasting executive, is best known as the founder of Monday Night Football, ABC World News Tonight, Primetime, Nightline and 20/20. One of Columbia's top all-time running backs in football Louis Kusserow '49 became an NBC producer and one of Columbia's best basketball players Chet Forte '57 became a director of Monday Night Football and other events for ABC.
Lions Rewind: Sept. 26 - Oct. 24, 2025
Wednesday, November 05
ROARfest
Friday, October 10
Lions Rewind: Sept. 1-25, 2025
Wednesday, October 01
Feature: 2025 National Girls & Women in Sports Day Panel
Wednesday, February 05
