Netflix reportedly in serious talks for Japanese World Baseball Classic rights

When it comes to live sports, Netflix has a type. The streamer gravitates toward big, headline-grabbing tentpole events.

That’s why Netflix is reportedly “exploring a bid” for Major League Baseball’s Home Run Derby, one of the properties now in play after ESPN exercised its opt-out with the league. While ESPN and MLB have re-engaged in talks, as The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand reported, whatever package emerges is unlikely to look the same. Some marquee games and events could easily migrate elsewhere — including to a streamer — which is why CNBC’s Alex Sherman floated the National League and American League Wild Card series as a potential target for Netflix.

And it’s not just U.S. rights. According to Puck’s John Ourand, Netflix is in serious talks to acquire the Japanese rights, currently held by advertising giant Dentsu, for next year’s WBC. The appeal is obvious. Japan’s 2023 WBC run drew audiences that, proportionally, rivaled those of NFL playoff games in the U.S. Japan’s quarterfinal win over Italy garnered 38 million viewers, a staggering number in a country of 125 million.

But that kind of demand isn’t theoretical.

Just this March, Game 1 of the Dodgers-Cubs Tokyo Series averaged more than 25 million viewers across all platforms — the most-watched MLB game ever in Japan, smashing last year’s Seoul Series record. For perspective, that’s bigger than any baseball audience in the U.S. since the 2017 World Series’ Game 7.

It’s no wonder that Rob Manfred might want to think globally when MLB’s media rights expire in 2028. With baseball booming in Japan, South Korea, and other international markets, the league has every incentive to package those rights in a way that maximizes reach and revenue. Netflix, with its global footprint and appetite for “eventized” sports, aligns perfectly with that vision.