When Commissioner Bowie Kuhn first took office in 1969, the only weekly showcase of Major League Baseball was its Saturday afternoon "Game of the Week" on NBC. On the other hand, the National Football League had produced its own syndicated highlight programs like "This Week in Pro Football" through its in-house unit NFL Films. In response to its competition, "This Week in Baseball" premiered in first-run syndication in 1977. The show was originally hosted by long-time New York Yankees announcer Mel Allen.