KBO 관중없이 개막... ESPN과 중계 계약<br /><br /> Baseball is back on in South Korea, starting today, now that the country seems to have COVID-19 under control.<br />The first games are on TV as usual, but at the stadium things were rather different.<br />Our Kim Do-yeon takes us there. <br /> On Children's Day, South Korea's baseball league, the KBO, started its new season.<br />It's a month late, and there are no specators in the stands.<br />But one of the season opening match-ups is between two of the league's fierce rivals -- LG Twins hosting the Doosan Bears.<br /> The cheerleaders are here, broadcast on TV, but the only way fans can see them is on their screens.<br />Rather different from baseball before COVID-19.<br /> And that's the way it will have to be until it's safer.<br />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.<br /> 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.<br />And the umpires at first and second base have to wear face masks. <br /><br />"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."<br /><br /> The KBO has good news for sports fans in other countries too.<br />The American sports broadcaster ESPN has reached a deal with Eclat Media Group, which holds the international broadcasting rights to the KBO. <br />ESPN will air one live game per day and play highlights throughout its programming.<br /><br />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. <br />Kim Do-yeon, Arirang News <br />
