ESPN announced plans to televise games from South Korea’s top baseball league on Monday, as American professional sports remain shut down during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) has its 2020 opening day Tuesday and ESPN will begin its coverage by carrying six games a week. The deal is a partnership with Eclat Media Group. ESPN will be the only English-language network to cover the games, using its play-by-play voices, analysts and reporters for color commentary at their home quarantined studios.
KBO commissioner Un-Chan Chung said in a statement: “During this unprecedented and difficult time, I hope the KBO League can bring consolation to the communities and provide guidelines to the world of sports. I am pleased that the KBO League can be introduced globally and hope this can be an opportunity for the development of our league and the sport.”
Most games will air on ESPN2 at 5:30 a.m. ET from Tuesdays through Fridays, 4 a.m. on Saturdays and 1 a.m. on Sundays. The season-opening game between the NC Dinos and Samsung Lions begins at 1 a.m. Tuesday on ESPN. Games will also be recapped on SportsCenter. The ESPN talent to cover the games includes Karl Ravech, Jon Sciambi, Eduardo Perez, Jessica Mendoza and Kyle Peterson.
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