Volleyball World, the commercial arm of the sport’s FIVB governing body, has secured a four-year rights extension with Japanese commercial broadcaster Tokyo Broadcasting System Television (TBS).
Under the new agreement, TBS becomes the exclusive Japanese broadcaster of the indoor Volleyball Nations League (VNL) and the FIVB Volleyball World Cup across linear and digital streaming platforms.
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The men's 2026 VNL will run from June 11 to August 3, with Japan's Asue Arena Osaka due to host Pool Nine of the preliminary round featuring Japan, Italy, Canada, Argentina, Belgium, and Cuba. The final round will take place in China.
The 2027 FIVB Men's Volleyball World Cup is due to be staged in Poland from September 10 to 26.
Koji Sugahara, president of the sports division at TBS Television, Inc., said, “We are honored and delighted to continue our partnership with Volleyball World.
“Through our exposure of the VNL and World Championships on our various platforms, we are determined to contribute to the growth of volleyball even further.”
The extension builds on the pair’s original rights agreement, struck in 2024, which has seen TBS play a major role in increasing the sport’s visibility in Japan by introducing free-to-air coverage for the VNL in 2024 and 2025.
Volleyball World said more than 110,000 spectators attended two weeks of VNL competition in Japan in 2025, representing a 38% increase compared to 2023.
Felix von Knorring, head of media at Volleyball World, said: “We are delighted to extend our collaboration with a trusted partner in TBS.
“The success of recent VNL seasons has demonstrated the strong appetite for the sport among Japanese audiences, and this renewed agreement ensures fans will continue to enjoy world-class volleyball across both broadcast and digital platforms. We look forward to building on this momentum together over the coming years.”
The new deal comes amid Volleyball World’s push for international visibility, having most recently agreed a broadcast deal in Southeast Asia with Thai telecoms firm Jasmine International (JAS) and media group Mono.
Volleyball World also renewed and expanded its rights agreement with prominent Turkish media operator Saran Media Group last month until 2032.
The Volleyball World commercial vehicle was launched in early 2021 as a joint venture between the FIVB and private equity heavyweights CVC, which acquired a 33% stake in the entity worth around $100 million.
At the time of its launch, the FIVB said it would seek “sustainable commercial partnerships that create long-term value across the sport’s global ecosystem.”
Since then, it has worked to expand its global presence through major rights agreements, including with Australian and Slovenian public-service broadcasters SBS and RTV, respectively, as well as the US’ Paramount-owned sports network CBS Sports and Fox-owned Big 10 Network.
In July 2025, Volleyball World struck a new multi-year strategic partnership with Eurovision Services, the leading broadcast services provider, to enhance its viewing product.
Last year also saw the body appoint Ugo Valensi as its new chief executive to replace the outgoing Finn Taylor.
