TOKYO: Netflix will be the exclusive home of the 2026 World Baseball Classic in Japan, under a rights deal with World Baseball Classic Inc (WBCI), the body jointly run by Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association. The streamer will carry all 47 games live and on-demand for Japanese subscribers.
The sixth edition of the tournament will feature 20 national teams across four pools in Tokyo, San Juan, Houston and Miami from 5 March 2026. Defending champions Japan will again be in the spotlight.
MLB deputy commissioner for business and media Noah Garden said the deal reflected “the growing popularity of the tournament” and WBCI’s ambition to expand through digital platforms. Netflix Japan vice president of content Kaata Sakamoto called the tie-up a chance to “deliver a new kind of viewing experience that brings fans even closer to the action.”
MLB Players Inc president Evan Kaplan added that the partnership would give Japanese fans front-row access to “one of the sport’s most unique stages, where the world’s top players compete for national pride”.
For Netflix, the deal is the latest step in its tilt towards live sport, positioning it at the heart of one of baseball’s biggest international events.
Could we see it snap up some premium cricket media rights in India? That’s a delivery media observers have been waiting for Netflix to bowl for quite a while now.