As the landscape of alternative broadcasts of games grows ever wider, the Patriots are dipping their toes into a player-centric broadcast for the preseason this year.
Their iteration is going to feature career Patriot Devin McCourty and his twin brother, NFL journeyman Jason McCourty. The two will present a Manningcast-esque viewing of the Patriots' preseason games.
Dubbed a "TwinCast," there are a few methods to watch the McCourtys call the Patriots' preseason games against the Texans, Packers, and Titans. The Titans game should be especially fun, with Jason having spent most of his NFL career in the Tennessee secondary before playing seasons with the Browns, Patriots, and Dolphins.
The twins are no strangers to NFL media, so they should bring some polished analysis. Jason has spent time on "Good Morning Football" and will be on CBS calling games this year, and Devin is joining NBC for the "Football Night in America" studio show. The two have also podcasted together. In other words, this is slightly different from the ManningCast, which had a charm that was distinctly counter to the humdrum football broadcast.
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That doesn't mean the McCourtys won't have their own spin on things. They'll have guests and the largely independent nature of the show should give them some freedom.
Here's how to watch the McCourtys' alternate broadcast of Patriots preseason games.
When is the next TwinCast of the Patriots?
The next TwinCast will be the first, with the McCourty twins calling Patriots vs. Texans on Thursday, Aug. 10.
The game will begin at 7 p.m. ET. The broadcast will come from Jason's house in New Jersey alongside his brother.
The broadcast will air on Patriots.com and WBZ.com. WBZ is the Patriots' preseason network, owned and operated by CBS.
How to watch the Devin and Jason McCourty on the TwinCast
The TwinCast will be aired on Patriots.com and WBZ.com, with the latter's TV station WBZ-4 hosting the traditional Patriots broadcast.
The Patriots' second preseason game will see the twins air on television, WSBK-38, which is also operated by CBS.
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Why are the McCourty twins calling Patriots games?
The McCourty twins are calling Patriots games because teams are starting to tap into the potential of alternative broadcasts.
The two both have history with the Patriots, and their brotherly banter and media training makes them strong candidates to do a simulcast.
"I am excited to watch Patriots football as a member of Pats Nation," Devin said, per Patriots.com. "I am looking forward to giving great insight on training camp and the 2023 Patriots."
"I am excited to try something new," Jason added. "I am fired up to welcome my brother to the broadcast side of football and look forward to hanging out and watching a game with him. Buckle up, because it's going to be a lot of fun."
This is the NFL's first example of a team-produced alternate broadcast. In theory, the format is actually better for more localized broadcasts, so this will be an interesting experiment.
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"I can't think of a better pairing for the NFL's first team-produced alternate programming than Devin and Jason McCourty," said TwinCast senior executive producer Matt Smith, who also serves as executive producer of Patriots preseason games, per Patriots.com. "The two have literally spent their entire lives together. They played football together, hosted a podcast together and won a Patriots Super Bowl together.
"Each of the twins earned national television opportunities within months after retiring after their respective 13-year NFL careers and Jason has already gained experience calling NFL games for national radio broadcasts. Devin and Jason are the perfect pairing for this venture and we can't wait to see their interaction and learn from their insight."
Patriots' TwinCast schedule 2023
The McCourtys will be calling three games this year, with the TwinCast streaming for each and being broadcast on TV for one of them.
| Date | Time | Opponent | Stream | TV |
| Aug. 10 | 7 p.m. | Houston Texans | Patriots.com, WBZ.com | N/A |
| Aug. 19 | 8 p.m. | Green Bay Packers | Patriots.com, WBZ.com | WSBK-38 |
| Aug. 25 | 8:15 p.m. | Tennessee Titans | Patriots.com, WBZ.com | N/A |
