Entertainment news and discussion on TalkFuse.
Savannah Bananas announce original song from EGOT-winning Disney team
The Savannah Bananas have announced their first original song, “Show Starts Now”, created in partnership with Atlantic Records and Ampersand, the production company of EGOT-winning songwriters Benji Pasek and Justin Paul. The move matters because it extends the exhibition baseball team’s entertainment-first brand beyond live games and social media, reinforcing its position as a crossover sports and showbusiness phenomenon. The song will also give the Bananas a high-profile showcase when it is performed as the opening act at the 2026 ESPY Awards on 15 July.
Pasek and Paul, known for work including Dear Evan Hansen, La La Land and The Greatest Showman, co-wrote the track with Cal Shapiro, Ashley Gorley and Ben Johnson. The Bananas, who began playing Banana Ball full-time in 2023, are now in the inaugural 2026 season of the Banana Ball Championship League, which ends in October with the first Banana Bowl. The article also notes that Tony-nominated actor Derek Klena, now a Bananas pitcher and performer, will take part in the song’s live debut, while the track is already available to pre-save and league games stream on Disney Plus and the ESPN App.
In short
- Savannah Bananas are releasing their first original song.
- EGOT winners Pasek and Paul helped write it.
- The song debuts at the 2026 ESPYs.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Supporters see the Bananas' collaboration with Pasek and Paul as an innovative expansion of sports entertainment that brings high-quality artistic talent to baseball whilst remaining true to the team's entertainment-first brand identity. By creating original music with accomplished composers, the team attracts audiences beyond traditional baseball demographics, particularly younger viewers and theatre enthusiasts, demonstrating that sports venues can host genuine artistic collaboration. This approach elevates rather than cheapens baseball by positioning it as a legitimate cultural platform worthy of the same creative talent that produces work for Broadway and Hollywood.
The case against
Critics argue this exemplifies excessive commercialisation that prioritises spectacle over sporting integrity, treating baseball as a vehicle for celebrity partnerships and corporate marketing rather than athletic competition. When resources flow toward original songs and entertainment industry collaborations instead of player development or competitive quality, it suggests the actual sport has become secondary to entertainment commerce. This blurs the fundamental purpose of professional sports with entertainment industry needs, ultimately diminishing both the sport's legitimacy and the authenticity of artistic collaboration by reducing it to a branded marketing exercise.
Explained simply
The Savannah Bananas are an exhibition baseball team known for treating games like theatrical productions. Operating full-time since 2023, they have built a following among audiences beyond traditional baseball fans by combining sport with entertainment production, and they currently compete in the inaugural season of the Banana Ball Championship League.
Benji Pasek and Justin Paul are songwriting partners who have won Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards for their work on films and musicals including The Greatest Showman, La La Land and Dear Evan Hansen. The Bananas have partnered with them to create an original song called "Show Starts Now", leveraging their mainstream entertainment credentials.
The partnership represents an expansion of the Bananas' brand beyond live games and social media into music production. By collaborating with EGOT-winning songwriters, the team is reinforcing its identity as a hybrid sports and showbusiness venture, demonstrating how it uses entertainment production as a central part of its business model.
Entertainment Music Trending Weird & Viral