Mototsugu Kashiwada has watched baseball for free on TV almost his whole life from his hometown of Hanamaki in northern Japan, where superstar Shohei Ohtani played high school baseball. When he learned that the upcoming World Baseball Classic would be streamed only on Netflix, he was stunned.
“Ohtani’s performance last time really got everyone fired up, but my excitement has dropped a lot now that it seems we can’t watch,” said the 72 year-old. He usually relies on his two sons, who live near Tokyo, for tech support, but they’re too far away to help him set up his TV.
Streaming companies like Netflix and Amazon.com’s Prime Video have expanded aggressively into live sports in North America and Europe, but professional baseball in Japan has largely remained in the hands of domestic broadcasters and free-to-air networks. By locking up exclusive rights to the WBC, Netflix is testing whether Japan’s deeply entrenched viewing habits can be reshaped.