Hsu Chan-Yuan and Chen Hsiung-Wei Team Up for Bilingual Hakka-Mandarin Baseball Broadcast, Taoyuan's 'All-Yuan Hakka Talk' Live Stream Surpasses 700,000 Viewers

Watch baseball and learn Hakka at the same time! On the 30th, the Taoyuan City Hakka Affairs Bureau launched 'Taoyuan Greater Hakka: All-Yuan Hakka Talk,' creating Taiwan’s first Hakka-Mandarin bilingual live broadcast of a professional baseball game. The event featured renowned sports broadcasters Hsu Chan-Yuan and Chen Hsiung-Wei, bringing Hakka cheers to the traditional baseball broadcast. The cumulative viewership across television and online streaming quickly surpassed 700,000.

Hsu Chan-Yuan and Chen Hsiung-Wei join forces! Taoyuan’s Hakka Affairs Bureau pioneers Taiwan’s first Hakka-Mandarin bilingual pro baseball broadcast

To promote the everyday use and diverse applications of the Hakka language, the Taoyuan Hakka Affairs Bureau entered the realm of national sports—professional baseball—bringing Hakka to the broadcast booth. The Bureau stated that baseball is a beloved national pastime, and through Hakka-language commentary, they aim to offer fans a fresh experience, allowing them to hear a different kind of cheer during familiar games, showcasing Hakka as diverse, youthful, and deeply connected to daily life.

Prior to the game, a pre-game show titled 'Hakka Fan Preview' was launched, hosted by Hakka Affairs Bureau Director Fan Jiang-Tai-Ji, sports broadcaster Hsu Chan-Yuan, and Rakuten Girl Mu You-Ning. The show enthusiastically shared Hakka cheering techniques and authentic Taoyuan Hakka cuisine, inviting fans to cheer for the Rakuten Monkeys while also learning about Hakka food culture.

700,000 viewers respond enthusiastically! Digital interaction and AI Hakka learning system unlock a new baseball experience

This broadcast broke from traditional one-way commentary by integrating real-time online interactions and digital learning tools, sparking lively discussions among fans and netizens. Cumulative viewership across TV and online platforms surpassed 700,000, successfully creating cross-sector buzz. Fans could participate through online voting and Hakka culture Q&A sessions. The live stream comment section doubled as a teaching platform, instantly compiling and sharing Hakka terms for common baseball phrases.

The event incorporated AI technology via the 'Taoyuan Greater Hakka AI Hakka Learning System,' encouraging viewers to learn Hakka cheers through AI, enabling an immersive experience of watching, interacting, and learning Hakka simultaneously.

Many viewers commented after watching, saying, 'I watched especially for the Hakka commentary,' 'Listening to Hakka commentary is a different kind of fun,' and 'Hsu’s Hakka commentary is very soothing,' demonstrating the excellent promotional effect of combining sports events with local languages.

Cross-sector integration with sports! Expanding Hakka language promotion and future applications

The key to preserving local languages lies in creating new usage contexts and life connections. Director Fan Jiang-Tai-Ji of the Hakka Affairs Bureau stated, 'Beyond preservation, we are actively creating new contexts for Hakka. By entering the national sport of baseball, we hope Hakka will walk into more people’s lives alongside baseball, allowing different generations and ethnic groups to naturally and enjoyably engage with the language.'

By integrating Hakka into baseball broadcasts, Rakuten’s cheering culture, and AI learning tools, the Bureau successfully challenged young people’s stereotypes about the Hakka language. Moving forward, the Bureau will continue exploring cross-sector collaborations to naturally embed Hakka into everyday life across various settings.