Blue Wahoos Airbnb Experience Attracts NBC News, Today Show 

The children led the way, toting bright-colored luggage while beaming with excitement, as they entered the Blue Wahoos home team clubhouse.

They traveled cross-country Oct. 15 from Salt Lake City and Dallas with their fathers, who were brothers and sports fans living their own dream with the Blue Wahoos’ Airbnb experience.

The eight-member group – two dads and six children ages 3 to 13 -- planned the trip in June.

Inside, a veteran production duo from NBC News in New York had a camera and audio rolling. A perfectly kind of made-for-television moment.

The cameras captured the kids’ joyous shrieks. Showed the excitement among cousins who likely never imagined what they would find in a clubhouse area set up for a team’s next game. A Christmas morning type reaction.

“Oh my gosh, this is the best. It’s awesome,” said Michael Hutchings, a Verizon president from Dallas, who was joined by his brother Steven from Draper, Utah, where both men grew up in a community near Salt Lake City. “I mean, look at the kids. They love it.”

So did NBC.

The segment on the Hutchings’ family stay at the Blue Wahoos’ Airbnb is expected to be shown this Saturday (Oct. 24) during a time slot from 6 a.m. (CST) and 8 a.m. on Weekend Today program. The NBC production duo of Bill Angelucci and Anthony McGowan filmed hours of video in two days last week during the guests’ stay.

They were joined by veteran NBC news correspondent Catie Beck, who interviewed the brothers and met with Blue Wahoos owner Quint Studer.

“It takes something special for a story to make it to this level and the fact this did is pretty remarkable,” said Beck, who pitched the story to NBC executive producers, after reading about the Blue Wahoos’ Airbnb setup earlier in the summer. The Weekend Today program allows longer video feature segments.

“It just had all the right elements,” she said. “And it is sometimes really hard to strike that perfect balance like this has.”

Beck kept pushing for the story after various circumstances caused NBC’s team in the summer to cancel previous trips to Pensacola to film.

The Blue Wahoos made history when launching their Airbnb in late May as the first Airbnb at a sports venue in America. Since then, there have been 52 different guest stays at Blue Wahoos Stadium representing 23 different states.

The Blue Wahoos recently won Minor League Baseball’s Golden Bobblehead Award for Best Overall Promotion and Best Non-Gameday Experience during the 10th annual MILB Innovators Summit.

It occurred during a year when all of minor league baseball had 2020 seasons cancelled and operations shuttered due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Blue Wahoos were among the few in minor league baseball not to furlough or lay off staff. Instead, co-owners Quint and Rishy Studer decided to utilize the year to pivot into being an events company with the Airbnb as part of that portfolio.

“I think it just signifies how hard our team has worked to receive this kind of recognition,” said Bailie Tate, the Blue Wahoos group sales manager, who transitioned to manage the Airbnb experience since its launch.

“I hope it also brings more awareness to Pensacola and what the Blue Wahoos do for the community here,” Tate said. “The (Hutchings) families really exemplify the whole aspect of this.

“It’s the fun, family experience that we seek to provide whether we are doing it at a Blue Wahoos baseball game or with the Airbnb. The mission is the same.”

Tate worked with NBC’s Katie Primm throughout the summer to help ensure the visit could happen. After Hurricane Sally struck Pensacola on Sept. 16, the Blue Wahoos staff worked to restore the field and clean up the stadium area for events and potential Airbnb stays.

The Hutchings brothers learned of the Blue Wahoos’ Airbnb through the national attention it received when launched in May.

“I heard of it on ESPN’s show, ‘Around the Horn.’ At the end of the show, they mentioned the Blue Wahoos Double-A team in Pensacola was renting out their stadium,” said Michael Hutchings.

“We have a group chat with others where we are always talking sports, so we threw it up there. And I thought this would be really cool,” said Steve Hutchings. “We had planned to go to Orlando during the kids’ fall break (Utah schools) this weekend (Oct. 15-18) so we added this stay to the trip.”

While at the stadium, the families were treated to a dinner from Blue Wahoos executive chef Travis Wilson. The kids played ping pong and the X-Box setup in the clubhouse.

They explored the playground area behind the stadium at the Community Maritime Park.

The next morning, the group enjoyed a catered breakfast on the field.

“It’s amazing,” said Michael Hutchings, describing their stay. “The way I had looked at this experience is that you will never get time back with your kids, so go for it. This is cool.”

It was the kind of experience that attracted NBC programming decision-makers to agree when Beck and Primm continually pitched the idea of traveling to Pensacola.

“No one has ever seen a family sleeping in a baseball stadium. So, if you have not seen it on TV before, it’s likely to get bought,” Beck said. “(NBC production executives) love a visual story, but this one also has an underlayer of hard news with the COVID pandemic, which is why you guys (Blue Wahoos) had to close (baseball season cancelled).

“It’s about being innovative as a business, but also you’ve got this warm and fuzzy part with the Airbnb and kids. So, it kind of has everything you look for.”

The Blue Wahoos will continue operating their Airbnb, which includes the option of the visitors’ clubhouse for larger groups, through the rest of this year and beyond.

The success has led to deciding how to maintain the Airbnb around the baseball schedule.

“It’s been a great challenge for us and a great opportunity to showcase what Pensacola has to offer,” Bailie Tate said. “What this Airbnb has done is shown you can still have baseball when there is no baseball. You can run out on the field and feel like a kid again. All in one place.”