ESPN’s electric new broadcaster Pat McAfee experienced some technical difficulties while broadcasting his show live from WWE World in Philadelphia in front of a massive crowd Friday in anticipation of WrestleMania 40 this weekend.
The incredibly large crowd gathered seemed to have difficulty hearing McAfee and his crew as the microphones were apparently not working well.
McAfee, exemplary showman that he is, used the issue as an opportunity to get the crowd going. (RELATED: Pat McAfee Show Descends Into Chaos After ESPN Analyst (Allegedly) Rips A Massive Fart)
“Is there any sound at all?!” McAfee asked the crowd loudly. They replied with a smattering of boos and inaudible shouting.
“Little bit?! Littttttle bitttt??” he continued. “We can hear you just a little bit, can we hear you a little bit more?’ he said rhythmically. Then, he broke into an electric chant inspired by the 1959 Isley Brothers hit song “Shout.”
“A little bit louder now,” he sang, quickly being joined by his co-hosts, and then the crowd.
🗣A LITTLE BIT LOUDER NOW
🗣🗣A LITTLE BIT LOUDER NOW
🗣🗣🗣A LITTLE BIT LOUDER NOW#PMSLive pic.twitter.com/2OaEf69hjy
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) April 5, 2024
The venue erupted into chants and dancing as fans followed his lead.
Talk about turning lemons into lemonade. A less-experienced broadcaster might have grown visibly frustrated with the fact that his crowd couldn’t hear him. But not McAfee. The part-time wrestler and full-time electric factory handled the moment with aplomb, not only feeding on the crowd’s energy but stoking them into a fervor.
It’s no wonder ESPN dropped a reported $85 million to license his broadcast.