On August 14, Sports Kyunghyang cited a baseball industry insider who claimed actor Lee Jung-jae’s side had invested 20 billion KRW (approx. 14.4 million USD) in the production, while another suggested he may have purchased or funded a new baseball team. The rumors came as A Clean Sweep prepares for a fresh start with a new production team and revamped cast.
The speculation appeared surprising given Lee’s limited public connection to baseball, aside from throwing the first pitch at a Kiwoom vs. LG game in 2022 to promote his film Hunt. His only other notable link is through close friend Jung Woo-sung, a member of the celebrity baseball team “Playboys.” The alleged tie to A Clean Sweep was reportedly formed via former pro player Shim Soo-chang, now leading a new team backed by the Gyeonggi-do Baseball Softball Association.
Lee’s business ventures have included founding Artist Company in 2016, merging it with publicly listed Artist United, acquiring drama production company RaemongRaein for Artist Studio, and distributing films such as The Dead Don’t Hurt and One Win.
If true, the investment would have marked Lee’s first major foray into the growing “sportainment” industry. Originally launched in 2022, A Clean Sweep ended its third season in February 2025 amid internal disputes, leading PD Jang Si-won and the original cast to move to web series Burning Baseball. JTBC has since appointed CP Sung Chi-kyung ( Let’s Play Soccer 4) and PD Ahn Sung-han to lead the reboot, with a coaching lineup featuring Lee Jong-beom and Jang Sung-ho, plus players like Kim Tae-kyun and Na Ji-wan.
However, Lee’s agency Artist Company denied the reports, stating:
“While we reviewed the possibility of participating in a baseball variety show at the company level, it was not A Clean Sweep. This appears to have been speculation from ongoing discussions, but we are not reviewing it now.”
JTBC also dismissed the claims, saying:
“The information is not true.”
With both sides denying the rumors, Lee Jung-jae’s potential move into baseball entertainment appears to be on hold at least for now.
Sources: nate
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