Japan's Great Otani Love... MLB Seoul Series Broadcast Live on Terrestrial TV

Japan's public broadcasters NHK and TV Asahi will broadcast live on terrestrial TV the official opening game of the Major League Baseball (MLB) season, the Los Angeles Dodgers vs. San Diego Padres, held next month in Seoul.

TV Asahi will also broadcast live the Dodgers vs. Kiwoom Heroes and Dodgers vs. South Korea national baseball team practice games, in which superstar Shohei Ohtani may participate. It is unusual to broadcast MLB practice games live.

Ohtani Wearing Dodgers Cap
Photo by Yonhap News

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Japanese media such as Sports Hochi reported on the 9th, "NHK will broadcast live the Dodgers vs. San Diego game on March 20, and TV Asahi will broadcast the game on the 21st," adding, "TV Asahi will also broadcast live the Dodgers vs. KBO League Kiwoom Heroes practice game on the 17th and the Dodgers vs. South Korea national baseball team practice game on the 18th."

The Dodgers and San Diego will play a two-game opening series at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on March 20 and 21.

The opening series is expected to be the regular season debut for ‘superstar’ Shohei Ohtani, who joined the Dodgers this season, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who set a new record for the highest-paid MLB pitcher. San Diego also has starting pitcher Yu Darvish and bullpen pitcher Yuki Matsui.

Shohei Ohtani being interviewed
Photo by AFP/ Yonhap News

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Although the games will be held at the nearby Gocheok Dome in Seoul, it is difficult for Japanese fans to attend in person. This is because the tournament's official broadcast rights holder, Coupang Play, only allows Coupang Play members with mobile phones activated by domestic telecom companies to reserve tickets.

Ticket reservations are extremely difficult. Tickets for the opening game, sold on the 29th of last month, sold out within 8 minutes of the start of reservations.

Souvenirs related to Kikuchi Yusei displayed in the area called 'Step in Hanamaki,' set up inside the Shin Hanamaki Station history.
[Photo by Hanamaki City Official Website]

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Meanwhile, Ohtani is a popular star in Japan, with related memorabilia displayed in a museum. Hanamaki City in Iwate Prefecture, Japan, announced that it will exhibit Shohei Ohtani-related memorabilia in the 'Step in Hanamaki' area inside the new Hanamaki Station.

Ohtani, who was unanimously voted MVP last season, was also unanimously named American League MVP in 2021. He is the first player in history to be unanimously awarded MVP more than once. Additionally, Ohtani played as both a pitcher and hitter in the 2023 MLB season. On the mound, he appeared as a starting pitcher in 23 games, recording 10 wins, 5 losses, and a 3.14 ERA. As a hitter, he played 135 games with a batting average of 0.304, 44 home runs, 95 RBIs, and 102 runs scored.

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