Abstract
The 6th World Baseball Classic (WBC), held in March 2026, was streamed exclusively by Netflix in Japan, with no live coverage on terrestrial television.
Immediately after the tournament, the NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute conducted an online survey to examine how viewers perceived this exclusive streaming arrangement and how they viewed the issue of universal access rights in sports broadcasting, which had drawn attention in the wake of the tournament.
Concerning the WBC, which was streamed exclusively on Netflix, many dedicated sports fans highly praised Netflix for offering comprehensive, long-hour coverage of every game, with interviews and documentary content included. In this respect, it can be said that Netflix demonstrated the advantage of streaming services, which are free from the scheduling constraints of traditional television. A significant number of viewers—especially young men—joined Netflix solely to watch the WBC. In this sense, Netflix’s exclusive streaming of a major sport can be seen as having achieved a certain level of success for a subscription service that aims to grow its membership through exclusive sports coverage.
On the other hand, only 30 percent of sports fans were able to watch the WBC on Netflix, and many individuals—particularly the elderly—expressed dissatisfaction, saying, “I wanted to watch it but couldn’t because there was no TV broadcast.” Even among those who did watch it on Netflix, many felt that “the tournament lacked excitement because there was no TV broadcast,” which highlights the limitations of exclusive streaming in expanding viewership, given that it is available only to paid subscribers.
In terms of universal access rights, approximately 70% of sports viewers believe that it is “necessary” to introduce such a system in Japan, as well. The survey also found that if such a system were to be established, many respondents think that “Japan national team matches” in popular sports—such as the Olympics, baseball, and soccer—should be selected as designated sports events, on the grounds that they “get the whole country excited” and “make the public feel united.” Some experts note that these views reflect a sports culture unique to Japan that has a strong preference for national team matches.
