Baseball stadiums across the U.S. remain empty a month after the Major League Baseball season was to get underway. But baseball fans are about to get at little something to tide them over until play can resume in this country.
In South Korea, where coronavirus cases have dropped off, live sports are resuming, highlighted by the start of the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) season. And in the US, you'll be able to watch real live baseball games (though at odd hours of the day, given the time difference between Korea and this country).
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You may not recognize the players and the teams, though a few American players ply their trade in the KBO. But it's live sports and it's easy to watch — if you know when and where to look. Here's a closer look at how to watch KBO baseball games, along with VPN and live stream options for catching all the action.
Korean Baseball Organization start time, channel
The KBO season begins Tuesday (May 5) at 2 p.m. Korean Standard Time. That's 1 a.m. EDT on Tuesday morning; if you're on the west coast of the US, the games begin at 10 p.m. PDT on Monday (May 4).
The first game of the KBO season features the NC Dinos vs. the Samsung Lions, and ESPN will air coverage in the U.S.
How can I use a VPN to watch Korean baseball?
Not able to find any KBO games airing in your part of the world? A virtual private network can help by disguising your location when you're surfing so that you can pick up any streaming options available outside of wherever you happen to be.
The best VPN that we've tested is ExpressVPN, which delivers good speeds and is easy to use. It supports a wide variety of devices and doesn't take long to get up and running.
ExpressVPN: Get ExpressVPN if you reliable performance and responsive customer support should you run into trouble. Order a year of ExpressVPN, and you get the equivalent of three extra months. There's a 30-day money-back guarantee, allowing you to give the service a try.
When can I watch Korean baseball?
Assuming you're reading this from the US, ESPN is the place to find live coverage of KBO action. The sports channel inked a deal with the Korean league to air games in this country.
Apart from Tuesday's opener at 1 a.m. EDT on ESPN, most games will be airing on ESPN2. On Tuesdays through Fridays, the games will generally start at 5:30 a.m. EDT/2:30 a.m. PDT. Saturday games start at 4 a.m. EDT/1 a.m. PDT. On Sundays, you can watch at 1 a.m. EDT/10 p.m. Saturday in the Pacific time zone.
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ESPN says it will carry six games a week on its channels.
How can I watch a Korean baseball game live stream?
With ESPN providing coverage to the U.S., you can watch a live stream of the broadcast on the sports channel's website. ESPN also airs live streams through its mobile app (Android, iOS) as well as through apps on Apple TV and set-top boxes.
However, to enjoy ESPN live streams, you've got to sign in with your cable company's login credentials. In others, if you cut cable, you're out of luck.
How can I watch a Korean baseball game live stream without cable?
You can still watch KBO games, but you're going to need to sign up for a streaming service that includes ESPN in its package of channels. The good news is you've got a few options, with several services costing less than what you'd have to pay for cable. Here's a look at your best options for live streaming Korean baseball coverage on ESPN.
YouTube TV: ESPN and ESPN2 are among the 70-plus channels in the YouTube live TV service. The $50-a-month subscription includes a cloud DVR for recording programs to watch later
Hulu with Live TV: The live TV tier of Hulu is more expensive than Sling at $55 a month. But it includes more channels in addition to ESPN and ESPN2. There's also a cloud DVR feature if you want to record those KBO games and watch your baseball at a more reasonable hour.
Philip Michaels
Philip Michaels is a Managing Editor at Tom's Guide. He's been covering personal technology since 1999 and was in the building when Steve Jobs showed off the iPhone for the first time. He's been evaluating smartphones since that first iPhone debuted in 2007, and he's been following phone carriers and smartphone plans since 2015. He has strong opinions about Apple, the Oakland Athletics, old movies and proper butchery techniques. Follow him at @PhilipMichaels.
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