This file photo taken on March 21, 2023, shows Shohei Ohtani, front right, and his teammates celebrating Japan’s victory in the 2023 World Baseball Classic championship in Miami, Florida. (Kyodo)
LOS ANGELES (Kyodo) — Netflix Inc. has acquired exclusive broadcasting rights in Japan for the sixth World Baseball Classic to be held next March, with all 47 games to be available live and on demand, the U.S. streaming giant said Monday.
With broadcasting rights fees soaring following Japan’s championship win at the 2023 tournament, Netflix secured the rights due to its strong financial resources and recent focus on sports content.
The move signals a full-fledged shift from television to streaming platforms for sports broadcasting in Japan. While there are no plans for terrestrial or satellite broadcasts, highlight footage may still be used for reporting purposes, according to tournament organizer Major League Baseball.
“This collaboration marks the first time Netflix will deliver live coverage of the World Baseball Classic to Japanese audiences,” Netflix said in a joint press release with MLB.
The Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper, which will host the 10 first-round Pool C games at Tokyo Dome, said in a statement that it would do its best to ensure that many people can enjoy the “valuable international tournament that will captivate not only baseball fans but many others, both in Japan and abroad.”
Nippon Professional Baseball, which had lobbied MLB to keep terrestrial broadcasts in Japan, said they were notified in advance of the decision to give Netflix exclusive broadcasting rights.
The previous WBC tournament featuring two-way star Shohei Ohtani was broadcast live on both terrestrial TV and online in Japan, with the final drawing an average household viewership rating of 42.4 percent in the Kanto region including Tokyo, according to Video Research Ltd.
Live sports streaming has risen rapidly in recent years, with an upcoming world title match featuring Japanese star boxer Naoya Inoue also broadcast exclusively online.