Shohei Ohtani’s Dodgers Debut Against The Padres in Korea Will Be Televised by ESPN
With two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani joining the Dodgers this off-season, his next Opening Day will be a continent away against the San Diego Padres in South Korea. The Dodgers are scheduled to open the 2024 season against San Diego as part of the Seoul Series.
Fans from Japan will be heading to South Korea for this game, too. The two countries are separated by about two hours by plane. The showcase will be a great opportunity for Ohtani to make his mark with the Dodgers near his homeland.
The location for the two games between the Dodgers and Padres was announced long before Ohtani decided where he would sign in free agency. Now, it’s a fitting stage for the international community to see Ohtani in a Dodgers jersey for the first time.
The games on March 20 and 21 will start at 3 a.m. Pacific Time for fans in Los Angeles who will want to watch the season opener. ESPN announced Monday that it will broadcast the game internationally, bringing global viewership for the Dodgers and their new star.
“ESPN will televise Shohei Ohtani’s Los Angeles Dodgers debut as part of the Seoul Series on Wednesday, March 20, and Thursday, March 21, at 6 a.m. ET both days. Ohtani, Mookie Betts and the Dodgers take on Manny Machado and the San Diego Padres in the first regular-season MLB games ever played in Korea. The ESPN telecasts will be subject to local blackout restrictions in the Los Angeles and San Diego markets.”
Per ESPN
While fans in Southern California are blacked out, fans in Korea will get to see some of the biggest stars the game has to offer up close, including South Korea native Ha-Seong Kim. The presence of Kim, Ohtani, Padres pitcher Yu Darvish (and any other Asian stars the teams sign between now and then) can only help MLB’s brand of baseball grow even more.
Ohtani’s debut will be historic. His anticipated Dodger Stadium debut is the following week against the St. Louis Cardinals. That game will be played on March 28 with a scheduled first pitch at 1:10 p.m. PT, the universal start time for “Opening Day” around MLB.
Photo Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
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Why would the games be blacked out in the Los Angeles area. We won’t be flying to Korea to see them in person. Or is it that they will be on The Dodger station?
I have long before Ohtani (decided on the Dodgers) myself decide to go to the came. I saw the Dodgers no hitter (Walker Buehler start) against the Padres in Monterrey Mexico. I have my room and flight booked but need tickets (not for sale yet) it will I’m sure be crazy now with Ohtani.