Korean pro baseball starts season; games to air on ESPN
- 4 years ago
KBO 관중없이 개막... ESPN과 중계 계약
Baseball is back on in South Korea, starting today, now that the country seems to have COVID-19 under control.
The first games are on TV as usual, but at the stadium things were rather different.
Our Kim Do-yeon takes us there.
On Children's Day, South Korea's baseball league, the KBO, started its new season.
It's a month late, and there are no specators in the stands.
But one of the season opening match-ups is between two of the league's fierce rivals -- LG Twins hosting the Doosan Bears.
The cheerleaders are here, broadcast on TV, but the only way fans can see them is on their screens.
Rather different from baseball before COVID-19.
And that's the way it will have to be until it's safer.
In the meantime, the league has put rules in place to keep the players from being exposed to COVID-19... so the season can go on.
The players have to have their temperatures checked before the games, and they won't be allowed to chew tobacco, spit or high-five each other to celebrate.
And the umpires at first and second base have to wear face masks.
"Outside the stadium, the team will practice social distancing. Until COVID-19 is completely beaten, our managers will instruct the players to put everything into their training and into the game rather than their social lives."
The KBO has good news for sports fans in other countries too.
The American sports broadcaster ESPN has reached a deal with Eclat Media Group, which holds the international broadcasting rights to the KBO.
ESPN will air one live game per day and play highlights throughout its programming.
Though a single case in the league could bring things to a halt again, the KBO says it plans to hold all 144 games of the season by November, as usual, by canceling the all-star weekend and shortening the post season.
Kim Do-yeon, Arirang News
Baseball is back on in South Korea, starting today, now that the country seems to have COVID-19 under control.
The first games are on TV as usual, but at the stadium things were rather different.
Our Kim Do-yeon takes us there.
On Children's Day, South Korea's baseball league, the KBO, started its new season.
It's a month late, and there are no specators in the stands.
But one of the season opening match-ups is between two of the league's fierce rivals -- LG Twins hosting the Doosan Bears.
The cheerleaders are here, broadcast on TV, but the only way fans can see them is on their screens.
Rather different from baseball before COVID-19.
And that's the way it will have to be until it's safer.
In the meantime, the league has put rules in place to keep the players from being exposed to COVID-19... so the season can go on.
The players have to have their temperatures checked before the games, and they won't be allowed to chew tobacco, spit or high-five each other to celebrate.
And the umpires at first and second base have to wear face masks.
"Outside the stadium, the team will practice social distancing. Until COVID-19 is completely beaten, our managers will instruct the players to put everything into their training and into the game rather than their social lives."
The KBO has good news for sports fans in other countries too.
The American sports broadcaster ESPN has reached a deal with Eclat Media Group, which holds the international broadcasting rights to the KBO.
ESPN will air one live game per day and play highlights throughout its programming.
Though a single case in the league could bring things to a halt again, the KBO says it plans to hold all 144 games of the season by November, as usual, by canceling the all-star weekend and shortening the post season.
Kim Do-yeon, Arirang News