Japan upset that World Baseball Classic to be on Netflix
January 12, 2026
The Post is typically a ragebaity source but this article is pretty good.
31 comments
Wait, it’s going to be on Netflix? Ewwww.
Yeah, I don’t blame them.
Netflix sucks, so yeah
So in other words, they basically decided to turn it into pay-per-view event (for the cost of one month of membership). Nobody signing up for netflix for WBC is going to want to keep it..
I do wonder if this will turn the Japanese to piracy. They’re notoriously against it, but this might be the push people need.
F Netflix
For previous WBCs, as long as you had a TV, you were able to watch it. Of course people are upset.
>Netflix has the exclusive broadcasting rights for the WBC in Japan.
Did Japanese broadcasters have the right to bid for the rights?
That’s screwed up. Feel bad for them.
Is it bad I keep forgetting this is happening? At least I keep getting excited for extra baseball.
The Yomiuri Shimbun (Shimbun means newspaper in English), which owns a NPB team, Yomiuri Giants, has been co-organizing the Tokyo leg of the WBC since its first tournament in 2006. The company is SUPER mad at WBC because WBC sold the exclusive broadcasting rights for Japan to Netflix without consulting them. I’m 90% sure this year could be the last time Yomiuri Giants allows the Tokyo leg of the tournament to be held at Tokyo Dome, which is the team’s home stadium.
It’s a dumb decision because the tournament is still in its infancy really. They should be prioritizing number of viewers above an increase in money.
Should have been a Crave exclusive
JSports could have snag the broadcasting rights instead of Netflix.
Will this be on Netflix just for Japan or in general, because living in Australia this could be kinda clutch as I couldn’t watch it before
So am I. Netflix sucks.
Netflix is the biggest and most accessible streaming service in the world. I’d much rather it be on there than one of the annoying little services that no one has or only exist in the US like peacock or paramount
classic Netflix and chill but with a bat and ball
Netflix just becoming the new cable.
Don’t worry Japan we all hate it as well
Instead of complaing to NHK the public broadcaster collecting people’s licensing fees and refusing to pay for the rights people get mad at Netflix…that you can quit anytime unlike the licemsing fees? People misdirecting and being passive aggressive about their anger, that’s Japan in a nutshell.
Will Sportsnet still have it in Canada?
No one will see it. I haven’t had netflix in years
As a Japanese resident, this is great as I am already paying for Netflix. I do not want to have to subscribe to channels like Jsport which is not very interesting to me.
Sucks for the consumer but the good news here is this
> Netflix is believed to have paid close to $100 million for the rights, according to Japanese news reports. The cost represents an increase of fivefold from the previous tournament.
Money like this keeps the tournament around. Annoyance? Yes, but Netflix paid top dollar for the rights, that’s a good thing for the health of the tournament in my opinion. Maybe I’m wrong I don’t really know what it’s like in Japan, but in the US feels more likely someone has access to a Netflix subscription than cable.
I guess I’m pirating the games.
Eeeewwwww I am also now upset that the WBC will be on Netflix. I didn’t know that.
> The Post is typically a ragebaity source but this article is pretty good.
Nothing from the post is ever good.
Victim of it’s own success unfortunately.
The last one did so good growing the game and showcasing our stars to the world let’s show the world how we do blackouts mlb style.
31 comments
Wait, it’s going to be on Netflix? Ewwww.
Yeah, I don’t blame them.
Netflix sucks, so yeah
So in other words, they basically decided to turn it into pay-per-view event (for the cost of one month of membership). Nobody signing up for netflix for WBC is going to want to keep it..
I do wonder if this will turn the Japanese to piracy. They’re notoriously against it, but this might be the push people need.
F Netflix
For previous WBCs, as long as you had a TV, you were able to watch it. Of course people are upset.
>Netflix has the exclusive broadcasting rights for the WBC in Japan.
Did Japanese broadcasters have the right to bid for the rights?
That’s screwed up. Feel bad for them.
Is it bad I keep forgetting this is happening? At least I keep getting excited for extra baseball.
The Yomiuri Shimbun (Shimbun means newspaper in English), which owns a NPB team, Yomiuri Giants, has been co-organizing the Tokyo leg of the WBC since its first tournament in 2006. The company is SUPER mad at WBC because WBC sold the exclusive broadcasting rights for Japan to Netflix without consulting them. I’m 90% sure this year could be the last time Yomiuri Giants allows the Tokyo leg of the tournament to be held at Tokyo Dome, which is the team’s home stadium.
It’s a dumb decision because the tournament is still in its infancy really. They should be prioritizing number of viewers above an increase in money.
Should have been a Crave exclusive
JSports could have snag the broadcasting rights instead of Netflix.
Will this be on Netflix just for Japan or in general, because living in Australia this could be kinda clutch as I couldn’t watch it before
So am I. Netflix sucks.
Netflix is the biggest and most accessible streaming service in the world. I’d much rather it be on there than one of the annoying little services that no one has or only exist in the US like peacock or paramount
classic Netflix and chill but with a bat and ball
Netflix just becoming the new cable.
Don’t worry Japan we all hate it as well
Instead of complaing to NHK the public broadcaster collecting people’s licensing fees and refusing to pay for the rights people get mad at Netflix…that you can quit anytime unlike the licemsing fees? People misdirecting and being passive aggressive about their anger, that’s Japan in a nutshell.
Will Sportsnet still have it in Canada?
No one will see it. I haven’t had netflix in years
As a Japanese resident, this is great as I am already paying for Netflix. I do not want to have to subscribe to channels like Jsport which is not very interesting to me.
Sucks for the consumer but the good news here is this
> Netflix is believed to have paid close to $100 million for the rights, according to Japanese news reports. The cost represents an increase of fivefold from the previous tournament.
Money like this keeps the tournament around. Annoyance? Yes, but Netflix paid top dollar for the rights, that’s a good thing for the health of the tournament in my opinion. Maybe I’m wrong I don’t really know what it’s like in Japan, but in the US feels more likely someone has access to a Netflix subscription than cable.
I guess I’m pirating the games.
Eeeewwwww I am also now upset that the WBC will be on Netflix. I didn’t know that.
> The Post is typically a ragebaity source but this article is pretty good.
Nothing from the post is ever good.
Victim of it’s own success unfortunately.
The last one did so good growing the game and showcasing our stars to the world let’s show the world how we do blackouts mlb style.
I fucking hate this bullshit so much.
They wonder why the sport is losing viewers.