ESPN+ will stream all 16 games of the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) qualifier live in both English and Spanish exclusively on the streaming platform.
What’s Happening:
- ESPN+ will stream all 16 games of the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Baseball Americas Qualifier live from Port St. Lucie and Palm Beach, Florida, beginning Monday, May 31, and continuing through the final Super Round game on Saturday, June 5. The winner of the eight-team tournament will earn one of six spots at the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, in July and August.
- The national teams of the United States, Canada, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela will play three round-robin games in the opening group round, with the top two teams of each group advancing to the Super Round on June 4 and 5. The team with the best record at the conclusion of the Super Round will earn the berth to Tokyo, and the 2nd and 3rd place teams will join Australia, Netherlands, and Chinese Taipei at the WBSC Baseball Final Qualifier in Taiwan, June 16-20. The Final Qualifier will determine the last team to earn a spot at the Summer Games. Japan, South Korea, Israel, and Mexico have already qualified to compete in Tokyo.
Game Schedule:
- Monday, May 31:
- Puerto Rico Vs. Dominican Republic in Port St. Lucie 1:00 PM ET
- Venezuela Vs. Cuba in Palm Beach 1:00 PM ET
- USA Vs. Nicaragua in Port St. Lucie 7:00 PM ET
- Colombia Vs. Canada in Palm Beach 7:00 PM ET
- Tuesday, June 1st
- Colombia Vs. Venezuela in Port St. Lucie 1:00 PM ET
- Nicaragua Vs. Puerto Rico in Palm Beach 1:00 PM ET
- Canada Vs. Cuba in Port St. Lucie 7:00 PM ET
- Dominican Republic vs USA in Palm Beach 7:00 PM ET
- Wednesday, June 2nd
- Nicaragua Vs. Dominican Republic in Port St. Lucie 1:00 PM ET
- Canada Vs. Venezuela in Palm Beach at 1:00 PM ET
- Puerto Rico Vs. USA in Port St. Lucie at 7:00 PM ET
- Cuba Vs. Colombia in Palm Beach 7:00 PM ET
- Winners from each contest will proceed to a super round taking place on Friday, June 4th and Saturday June 5th, with teams, times, and locations to be determined.
What They’re Saying:
- WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari: “The WBSC is thrilled to partner with the leading sports streaming service, ESPN+, to showcase international baseball at its best and bring it to sports fans across the U.S. This partnership with ESPN is a natural fit and will best deliver the WBSC Baseball Americas Qualifier to English and Spanish speaking audiences, who are some of our sport’s most passionate fans.”
- Tim Bunnell, senior vice president, programming and acquisitions, ESPN: “We could not be happier to bring the WBSC Baseball Americas Qualifier to fans on ESPN+. With eight of the top teams in the world playing for a single spot in Tokyo this summer, we know the competition will be intense and entertaining for every baseball fan in the U.S.”