Korea Emerges with a Unique Opportunity in These Trying Times for Punters
Published May 23, 2020 by Lee R
Empty stadiums in Korea are being offset by added broadcast audiences seeking live action.
While so many sports suffer, the sports in countries that have weathered COVID-19 are getting refreshing attention as punters worldwide seek live options to bet on.
Enter Korea
One reasonably major sports which gets a turn in the punting spotlight is the Korea baseball league.
The Adapted Opening
Of course, the product is not as it used to be—because the stands are empty.
After weeks of delays, the Korea Baseball Organization opened its season last week Monday and Tuesday in empty stadiums as one of the very first professional sports leagues to come back into operation post-Corona.
New Audiences
For this reason, a key segment ventured in: the American punters, spurred on by a key and heretofore unlikely source of coverage: ESPN.
Yes fans are barred, but a far greater segment of punters are being channeled in with increased interest and demand.
Betting Shop Reaction
William Hill director of trading Nick Bogdanovich called early returns from opening day “good,” adding a “thumbs up” to ESPN for putting one game on at 10 o’clock PST, opening the door for punters to view a sporting event that they were betting on live.
The early results on the line intimated some intriguing possibilities, with underdogs going 3-2 on Opening Day.
Fan Compensation
With one KBA game streamed via the Twitch app with Korean broadcasting, and the other broadcast on ESPN, players on the field were reminded of audiences on TV by covering outfield seats with banners displaying fans wearing the team’s hats and masks during a 3-0 loss to the Eagles.
Outlook
While these figures may be insufficient substitutes for people, they are great reminders that more of the world is watching KBA than ever. Hopefully, the liveliness of competition can stand firm against positive tests while the KBA displays the quality of its product on the field to a global audience of deprived punters and viewers alike.
