Asian Games Caster Bae Seong Jae: "20 Years with SBS, I will be as passionate as my first broadcast"

Ahead of the 2026 Aichi Nagoya Asian Games, which opens on September 19, 2026, SBS caster Bae Seong Jae has declared his readiness. Bae will be in charge of broadcasting the opening ceremony as well as major sports including football, badminton featuring An Se-young, swimming featuring Kim Woo-min, and judo. The men's football team, challenging for their fourth consecutive Asian Games title, is in a so-called 'group of death' alongside Qatar and Saudi Arabia, signaling intense competition from the early stages of the tournament.

This tournament holds special meaning for Bae. It is the year marking his 20th year since joining SBS. Bae stated, "I have filled my career as the voice of SBS Sports, serving 15 years as an employee and 5 years as a freelancer." He added, "I am grateful that I can continue to meet SBS during major international events even after leaving the company, and since it is my 20th year, this tournament is personally quite special." He expressed his determination, saying, "I will prepare meticulously and firmly, just as I have done since my debut as a caster."

Preparation by Sport and Broadcasting Philosophy

His preparation methods vary by sport. For swimming, he examines athletes' recent records, season bests, and personal bests, as well as lap times every 50m and race management styles. For badminton, he goes beyond head-to-head records to analyze individual player types, rallies, and changes in attack and defense patterns. For football, he prepares extensively, covering the characteristics of starters and substitutes, club situations, and the tactics and substitution patterns of coaches. Bae explained, "I prepare a lot of data, but I don't try to say all of it during the broadcast. Even using just 20% is a lot, and in reality, I prepare extensively so that I can deliver the necessary word at the necessary moment."

Points of Interest and SBS Broadcasting Strengths

The key point of interest for this tournament identified by Bae is the 'return of world-class athletes to the Asian stage.' He noted, "In the past, it was a tournament to see athletes moving beyond Asia to the world, but now there are sports where world-class athletes return to the Asian stage to compete. That difference is the fun of this tournament." Regarding the standard for good broadcasting, he shared his philosophy: "Good broadcasting is broadcasting where the athlete becomes the protagonist. If, when the broadcast ends, people are talking only about the athlete and the match rather than the caster, that is the best broadcast." He continued, "The greatest strength of SBS Sports broadcasting is ultimately the people," citing commentators who have studied each sport for a long time and production teams who have experienced numerous World Cups, Olympics, and Asian Games as strengths. Bae concluded with his resolve, "It has been 20 years since I started with SBS; I will deliver the news from Nagoya as passionately as my first broadcast."

The 2026 Aichi Nagoya Asian Games will take place for 16 days, starting with the opening ceremony on September 19 and running until October 4.

Source: SBS Press Release

Special Times is striving to deliver faster and more diverse news to readers with the help of AI technology.