KBO 관중없이 개막... ESPN과 중계 계약<br /><br />Pro baseball is back on in South Korea now that the country seems to have the COVID-19 outbreak under control.<br />The first games of the season were on TV on Tuesday as usual, but at the stadiums... things were rather different.<br />Our Kim Do-yeon went to a check out a game and filed this report.<br />On Children's Day, South Korea's baseball league, the KBO, started its new season, but it wasn't your usual raucous occasion of thousands of fans cheering on their favorite players.<br />Due to the no spectator rules, teams attached pictures of fans to the eerily empty seats.<br />The cheerleaders are here, but fans can only connect with them virtually.<br />To mimic the usual scene as much as possible, there are skype sessions between the fans and the cheerleading squad.<br />Even though it's been many months, the fans still remember all the dance moves.<br />"We prepared shows to engage with the fans by cheer leading as much as possible while providing the usual ball game."<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 />"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 />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 />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 />
