--- description: The MLB is delayed over coronavirus, but Taiwan's baseball league is streaming games live in English—for free. Here's how to watch. title: Missing Baseball? Here's How to Watch Taiwanese Games Live—for Free image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte30f5dbe0ab163cc/698a0cf886f68e1ae06eea03/taiwan-baseball.jpg?branch=production&width=2400&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Sports](/section/sports/) ## Sports Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Baseball](/tag/baseball/) ## Baseball Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Missing Baseball? Taiwanese Games Are Now Broadcasting in English. Here's How to Watch Live  by [Michael Zennie](/author/michael-zennie/)  ## Michael Zennie Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 16, 2020 9:47 AM CUT  Infielder Wei Chen Wang (R) #9 of CTBC Brothers is tagged out during the CPBL game between CTBC Brothers and Uni-President Lions at Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium on April 12, 2020 in Taichung, Taiwan. Taiwan's Chinese Professional Baseball League started April 11 2020\. Due to COVID-19, only staff and members of the media were allowed to attend. Infielder Wei Chen Wang (R) #9 of CTBC Brothers is tagged out during the CPBL game between CTBC Brothers and Uni-President Lions at Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium on April 12, 2020 in Taichung, Taiwan. Taiwan's Chinese Professional Baseball League started April 11 2020\. Due to COVID-19, only staff and members of the media were allowed to attend.Gene Wang–Getty Images  by [Michael Zennie](/author/michael-zennie/)  ## Michael Zennie Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 16, 2020 9:47 AM CUT Spring has come and [Opening Day baseball](https://time.com/5812633/esports-coronavirus/ "undefined") is nowhere to be seen. [Spring Training was canceled](https://time.com/5801956/events-canceled-coronavirus/ "undefined") and Major League Baseball [postponed the start of the season](https://time.com/5813442/coronavirus-stadiums-hospitals/ "undefined") as the United States battles the coronavirus pandemic. But there’s new hope for fans sorely missing America’s past-time. They merely need to look across the world to Taiwan, where the island’s Chinese Professional Baseball League played the first Opening Day ballgame of the 2020 season on April 11. In an attempt to raise the profile of Taiwanese baseball, Eleven Sports network is streaming home games for one Taiwanese team, the Rakuten Monkeys, live on Twitter with English commentary—for free. Simply visit the [Eleven Sports on Twitter](https://twitter.com/ElevenSportsTW/ "undefined"). > [](https://twitter.com/ElevenSportsTW/status/1250463042078310402) Fans in the U.S. may need to set their alarms. With the 12-hour time difference, games start between 5 and 6:30 a.m. Eastern Time. The full schedule of Taiwan’s baseball league, including start times, [can be viewed here](http://www.cpbl.com.tw/download/cpbl-engschedule-2020-v3.pdf "undefined"). A spokesperson for the Chinese Professional Baseball League said it’s not yet clear whether English broadcasts will continue for the entire season. [_Keep up to date on the growing threat to global health by signing up for our daily coronavirus newsletter._](https://cloud.newsletters.time.com/newsletter%5Fopt-in?qs=3a19a0aa35903a2d9f214b74f69a37918ce5d918b82ded01409b97b89c944b82e7c0c4714103e459d4ec77d4fa2619b8484a7f6cd41088bb8a413a8a29e06fe6 "undefined") Taiwan, which China considers a breakaway province, managed to [stop coronavirus from gaining a foothold](https://time.com/5805629/coronavirus-taiwan/ "undefined") by [quickly locking down its borders](https://time.com/5802293/coronavirus-covid19-singapore-hong-kong-taiwan/ "undefined") and requiring 14-day quarantines for all travelers. It also has ambitious testing and monitoring regimes. So far, the island of 24 million has fewer than [400 cases of coronavirus and six deaths](https://www.cdc.gov.tw/En/Bulletin/Detail/tOSgpneINQmsCgVN5u%5FMhg?typeid=158 "undefined"). Large gatherings, however, are still banned, which means games have been played in front of robots and cardboard cutouts, instead of the usual noisy, chanting crowds. > [](https://twitter.com/CPBL/status/1248888300649082882) Taiwanese baseball, which has just five teams, may be the only major professional baseball league playing after nearly every other major sports league canceled or delayed their seasons amid the COVID-19 pandemic. [Korean baseball](https://mlb.nbcsports.com/2020/04/08/korean-baseball-could-return-by-early-may/ "undefined") is not set to begin its regular season until May. In Japan, where a state of emergency was recently declared in seven prefectures including Tokyo, Nippon Professional Baseball announced it had [abandoned plans to begin its season in late April](https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2020/04/08/baseball/japanese-baseball/npb-closes-main-office-announces-delays-season-emergency-declaration/#.Xpgg6KszbOQ "undefined"). And in the U.S., the MLB said last month it was [delaying Opening Day until at least mid-May](https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/coronavirus-mlb-opening-day-pushed-back-until-at-least-mid-may-owners-still-hoping-for-full-schedule/ "undefined")—although there is no official date to [start the 2020 season](https://time.com/5804606/espn-coronavirus-classic-sports/ "undefined")—if it begins at all. _Please send tips, leads, and stories from the frontlines to virus@time.com._ ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5822240/watch-taiwan-baseball-live-free/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5822240/watch-taiwan-baseball-live-free/"},"headline":"Missing Baseball? Taiwanese Games Are Now Broadcasting in English. 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