Netflix strikes a streaming deal with World Baseball Classic
By the time you end your day, wrap up your work, and go to bed prepared for the next, Netflix pulls out its bat to strike another home run. And this time, the streamer is literally honing its all-rounder spirit by stepping into the baseball scene with a groundbreaking streaming deal with the World Baseball Classic.
Major League Baseball-owned World Baseball Classic operates adjacent to the MLB Players Association. The last tournament, held in 2023, saw the final round showdown between Team USA and Team Japan. According to World Baseball Classic Inc, Netflix has allied with the World Baseball Classic to live stream the sports event in Japan for the upcoming 2026 tournament.
The 2026 WBC marks the first-ever live sports event to be streamed in Japan, boosting Netflix’s hold over the expansion of the live sports phenomenon in an international market. While Fox Sports is responsible for the streaming and TV rights to WBC Stateside, the streaming giant is set to stream all 47 games live and on demand in Japan.
Netflix has an existing partnership with MLB through a few documentaries. Lately, there’s also a growing buzz surrounding the streamer’s involvement in the Home Run Derby, following ESPN’s backing out of the deal after this season.
But moving on to the WBC streaming deal, it clearly seems like a strategic and calculated move on Netflix’s part. Team Japan won the 2023 WBC. And according to Sports Business Journal, Team Japan’s six games out of their seven garnered over 30million views in the country. The US viewership for the 2023 WBC is comparatively a drop in the bucket, with an average of over five million viewers. So, choosing Japan as its new market for strengthening its live sports events could be a groundbreaking step in more ways than one.
“This partnership demonstrates the growing popularity of the tournament, increasing interest in the event from global media companies and WBCI’s effort to engage with fans through innovative digital platforms,” said Noah Garden, MLB deputy commissioner for business & media. While he also extolled the company for its success in previous live streaming ventures, he clearly was over the moon speaking of this newfound partnership with Japan.
“We are honoured to partner with WBCI as the new home for the World Baseball Classic in Japan,” continued Kaata Sakamoto, VP of Japan’s Netflix content. Thrilled at the opportunity of turning a page for sports fans in Japan, he concluded, saying, “We look forward to working with leading Japanese partners to make the World Baseball Classic a true nationwide celebration, and to deliver innovative live entertainment for our members.”