Now, you have to demonstrate your capabilities to lead the baseball ecosystem. If you want to establish yourself as a professional sport representing Korea, in-depth archives and flexible accessibility are essential. It is the KBO League, which is being tested for self-reliance with a new media contract.

The contract with a partner who has been in the glory period has ended. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) announced on the 8th that CJ ENM has been selected as the preferred bidder for the live broadcasting rights of new media, collectively referred to as mobile phones, computers and tablets, for three years from 2024 to 2026.

Once the contract is completed, OTT service TVing is expected to be used to watch KBO League live broadcasts in media other than TV from this season.

Baseball fans have faced a new environment, turning their backs on familiar environments for more than 15 years. Whenever he used his phone, computer or tablet, he watched live KBO League broadcasts through portal sites and looked at highlights, articles and various records.

Now, TVing is necessary to enjoy live broadcasting outside the house. Both KBO and CJ ENM have opened up the possibility of free viewing, but even if the free viewing route is opened, TVing membership will be mandatory.

In addition to live broadcasting, there is something to be pointed out. It is an archive. There is a high possibility that the video materials accumulated on the portal site will disappear. It is not known when and what will happen to the numerous videos piled up in the portal site database. It is a professional sport where history and records are life, but it can be cut off from the past in an instant.

The KBO has also been enthusiastic about archival work for several years. It has been raking in video materials since 1982 through cooperation from broadcasting companies.

“We will push ahead with new projects to respond quickly to the ever-changing new media environment,” KBO President Heo Gu-yeon said. The company plans to build a production studio to strengthen its original content production capabilities. “Based on new projects such as producing international signal feeds for broadcasting in English, we will create K-baseball contents that can be enjoyed by baseball fans of all ages and overseas,” he stressed.

In fact, KBO is building a new studio on the second floor of the Baseball Hall. It plans to deliver the history of the KBO League to the KBO website or official YouTube channel by utilizing the video data to be preserved and managed in earnest.

However, it has no substance yet. It also seems that time is needed to confirm the substance. Even if we prepare in earnest from the time the new media contract is finalized, the amount is too much.

Still, it was something that had to be done someday, or realized early. KBO should be at the center of sharing and reminiscing about memories for tens of millions of baseball fans who have enjoyed baseball in more than 40 years.

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