MLB announced ESPN is going to nationally televise the Seoul Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres to begin the 2024 regular season.
However, the ESPN broadcasts for the two-game series from March 20-21 will be blacked out in Los Angeles and San Diego television markets. SportsNet LA is going to carry the Dodgers telecast to open what’s expected to be an intriguing season.
The Seoul Series is going to represent Shohei Ohtani’s Dodgers debut. His 10-year, $700 million contract was just finalized and now Ohtani gets to take part in MLB playing its first games in South Korea.
“We can’t wait to play meaningful Major League games for the very first time in front of the outstanding baseball fans of South Korea next season,” Dodgers president and CEO Stan Kasten recently said in a statement.
“The Dodgers have a long and proud history of helping to grow the game abroad, highlighted by our trips to Mexico, China and Australia. It’s very exciting to add Korea to the list. I know our players are thrilled to put their talents on display in a country so rich with baseball tradition and talent, including former Dodgers Chan Ho Park, Hee-Seop Choi and Hyun-Jin Ryu.”
Opening Day of an MLB season hasn’t been held outside of the United States or Canada since 2019, when the Oakland Athletics and Seattle Mariners played in the Tokyo Series.
The Padres and Dodgers are opening the MLB season in South Korea as part of the MLB World Tour 2024. Also included are games in Mexico City (Houston Astros and Colorado Rockies) and London (New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies).
ESPN additionally is going to televise one game during both the Mexico City Series and London Series.
What South Korea stadium will Seoul Series be played at?
Still to be announced by MLB is which Seoul stadium the Dodgers and Padres will play the Seoul Series.
Jamsil Baseball Stadium, home to the Doosan Bears and LG Twins, is the largest baseball venue in South Korea with a capacity of 25,000. The outdoor stadium opened in 1982.
The newest baseball stadium in South Korea is Changwon NC Park, which is located in Changwon, opened in 2019 and has a capacity of 22,112.
First pitch for the 2024 Opening Day game is scheduled for 3:05 a.m. PT on Wednesday, March 20. That equates to a 7:05 p.m. start time in Seoul for the first game of the 2024 regular season.
A start time for the series finale on March 21, which is a Dodgers home game, has not yet been announced.
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