Who will be the Kim Yeon-kyung baton…From Seo Jang-hoon, Park Se-ri, Choo Shin-soo, and Kim Se-jin, 'Spotainer's heyday'

Nov 27, 2025

Kim Yeon-kyung, Pak Se-ri, Choo Shin-soo, Seo Jang-hoon, and Kim Se-jin (from left).

As the heyday of sports entertainment has accelerated, sports player-turned-celebrities 'Spotainers' are active in the broadcasting industry.

Kim Yeon-kyung, the volleyball goddess, fired the flares. MBC Entertainment 'New Director Kim Yeon-kyung', which ended on the 23rd, was praised for completing a new genre of entertainment with a 5.8% viewer rating in the last episode. Amid this popularity, sports entertainment programs are being released one after another, and legend athletes in each event occupy the broadcasting area. Seo Jang-hoon, who returned to the court, Pak Se-ri and Choo Shin-soo, who are challenging unfamiliar women's baseball, and Kim Se-jin, Kim Yo-han, Shin Jin-sik, and Lee Yong-dae, who are aiming for the success of men's volleyball, appear to be creating the crystal of Sports+Entertainment by playing as the coach, leader, or player of the entertainment field. Attention is focusing on who will be the next runner to succeed Kim Yeon-kyung's baton.

First of all, Channel A's new entertainment program 'Baseball Queen', which was first released on the 25th, drew attention as performers Kim Min-ji, Kim Sung-yeon, and Kim Bo-reum, speed skater, ranked on the search word list shortly after the broadcast.

As for 'baseball queen', Park Se-ri as the general manager and Choo Shin-soo as the manager, he showed a strong presence from the first broadcast. National team-level athletes from each event, including Kim On-ah, Shin Soo-ji, and Kim Bo-reum, gathered at the Black Queens, which was formed with the goal of winning.

At the production presentation, Pak Se-ri said, `The courage of the athletes to challenge the new event was great. I wanted to see the growth process, so I took the lead. Choo Shin-soo said, `When the goal disappeared after retirement, the proposal came. I'm grateful that women play baseball themselves." It is a project that expands the horizon of entertainment by including the realistic goal of 'activating women's baseball' beyond entertainment.

Model Lee Dae-hee, singer Son Tae-jin, broadcaster Park Chan-woong, actors Oh Seung-hoon, Park Eun-seok, basketball player Kim Taek, singers Minho, Jeong Jin-woon, actors Moon Soo-in, NCT Johnny, broadcaster Jung Kyu-min, Seo Jang-hoon

SBS 'Hot Basketball Team', which will begin broadcast on the 29th, is a program in which celebrities and sports stars form a team to compete in the national competition. Seo Jang-hoon was at the center of the topic at once, returning as manager of the celebrity basketball team 'Rising Eagles' for the first time in more than five years. Seo Jang-hoon also said, `The idea is that it can help develop basketball and make players' dreams come true.' `If it was a situation where basketball had to be funny (entertainly) even though it was a subject, I probably wouldn't have done it.'

Led by Seo Jang-hoon, 「Rising Eagles」 featured Shiny Min-ho, 2AM Jeong Jin-woon, NCT Johnny, actors Park Eun-seok, Kim Taek, and model Moon Soo-in.

Three volleyball legends, Kim Se-jin, Shin Jin-sik, and Kim Yo-han, gathered in the MBN volleyball entertainment show 「Spike War」, which is set to air for the first time on the 30th. The program, in which star celebrities form a mixed men's and women's volleyball team to compete against a Japanese celebrity team, will "easily convey volleyball's charm to more people." also contains the wishes of the general manager Kim Se-jin. Shin Jin-sik said "I decided without hesitation when I said it was my first volleyball entertainment as a person who loves volleyball" and Kim Yo-han said "I wanted to plan a volleyball entertainment, but it finally became a reality."

Attention is focusing on who will fill the next page of the sports entertainment heyday held by Kim Yeon-kyung and whether the three programs will create a new game amid fierce competition.

Meanwhile, Channel A 'Baseball Queen' will premiere every Tuesday at 10 p.m., SBS 'Hot Basketball Team' will premiere at 5 p.m. on the 29th, and MBN 'Spike War' will premiere at 9:30 p.m. on the 30th.

mj.cho@sportschosun.com

Who will be the Kim Yeon-kyung baton…From Seo Jang-hoon, Park Se-ri, Choo Shin-soo, and Kim Se-jin, 'Spotainer's heyday'

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