With many sports events around the world canceled thanks to coronavirus concerns, there are plenty of people looking for things to watch instead, and sports documentaries seem like a good bet there. ESPN is showing a lot of their 30 for 30 films on linear TV (with the whole library available on ESPN+), and HBO’s documentaries are available through their streaming platforms. Now, Ken Burns and PBS announced Sunday that they’re making Burns’ famed 1994 Baseball documentary series available to stream for free nationwide through PBS.org and PBS’ streaming platforms. Here’s Burns discussing that:
With events canceled & so much closed, I asked @PBS to stream BASEBALL for free so we can participate in the national pastime together. Watch at the link below or on any streaming device. And please look out for those with greater needs. Play ball. @MLB https://t.co/WaQLSpeYkF pic.twitter.com/QYp1XE0SLC
— Ken Burns (@KenBurns) March 15, 2020
“This is a difficult time for all of us. We’re worried about the health of our kids, our friends and neighbors, and the vitality and safety of our communities. It’s also a time when we realize more than ever that we are all in this together, that the “U.S.” in United States actually means ‘us.’ We’ve been through hugely difficult times before and we’ve come through because we helped one another. And we learned that the best way to triumph over hardship is to come together as a country. As many of us hunker down in the days ahead, it’s important that we find things that bring us together and show us our common humanity. That’s why, in the absence of many of our favorite sports, I’ve asked PBS, that’s the Public Broadcasting Service, to stream my film about America’s pastime, Baseball, for free, at PBS.org and all PBS digital platforms. Stay healthy, and let’s look after each other. Play ball.”
It’s cool to see Burns and PBS doing this. There are lots of people out there who could use something to watch, and the Baseball series has brought a lot of joy to many over the years, so it could be a good option for those missing regular baseball. And it’s great to see some sports documentary content made available for free. Those interested in streaming the Baseball series can find it here, and you can find more about the series on its PBS homepage here.
[Ken Burns on Twitter]
