Global streaming giant Netflix will air its first live sports event in Japan next year after securing rights in the country for the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) national teams competition.
The deal will see Netflix exclusively air all 47 games live and on demand in Japan, with the streamer promising comprehensive coverage of the tournament. Fox Sports holds TV and streaming rights for the WBC in the US.
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Owned by North America’s Major League Baseball (MLB), via World Baseball Classic Inc., and operated alongside the MLB Players Association union, the 2026 edition will feature 20 teams competing in four first-round pools in Tokyo (Japan), San Juan (Puerto Rico), and US cities Houston and Miami.
Team Japan, led by LA Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, won the last World Baseball Classic in 2023, with Ohtani striking out his then-teammate Mike Trout to clinch the team's third title.
That edition reportedly saw six of the seven Team Japan games deliver over 30 million viewers in Japan for broadcaster TV Asahi, according to Sport Business Journal.
Noah Garden, MLB’s deputy commissioner for business and media, said: “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.
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By GlobalData“Netflix has already demonstrated remarkable success in live sports streaming globally. By joining forces with a leader in entertainment, we are not only honoring the tradition of baseball, but also embracing the future — ensuring that fans of all ages and backgrounds can enjoy the tournament in ways that fit their lives today.”
The rights build on Netflix’s recent collaborations with MLB, which have seen the streamer land documentaries including The Turnaround (2024), The Comeback: 2004 Boston Red Sox (2024), and The Clubhouse: A Year with the Red Sox (2025).
Indeed, last week it was reported that Netflix is set to acquire the domestic rights in the US to MLB's annual Home Run Derby showcase on a $35 million per year, three-season deal running through 2028.
Kaata Sakamoto, vice president of content for Netflix in Japan, said: “With Netflix already in millions of Japanese homes, we are excited to deliver a new kind of viewing experience that brings fans even closer to the action, the players, and the heart of the tournament, wherever they are.
“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.”
The deal increases Netflix’s growing live sports portfolio, which has seen the streamer air three NFL American football games globally (all on Christmas Day last year), while its decade-long deal (also worldwide) to cover World Wrestling Entertainment's 'Monday Night Raw' show began in January.
Last November, meanwhile, it attracted global viewing figures of over 60 million for its coverage of the boxing bout between icon Mike Tyson and popular internet personality-turned-boxer Jake Paul.
Coming up, it will air the eagerly anticipated bout between Canelo Álvarez and Terence Crawford, set to take place in September in Las Vegas, globally.
It also now holds rights in the US to cover the next two editions of soccer's FIFA Women's World Cup (2027 and 2031).
In February, it was revealed that Netflix is planning on bidding for domestic rights to Sunday afternoon games from the NFL – the league has a current deal for those rights in place with Fox and Paramount, through 2033, but can end the agreement four years early, according to reports.
