Netflix has its first agreement with Major League Baseball to stream the 2026 World Baseball Classic in Japan.
The partnership is the start of a relationship that is expected to grow soon. The Athletic previously reported that Netflix is the leader to become the exclusive platform for the Home Run Derby over the next three years. That deal is not official yet. Netflix would stream the Home Run Derby in the United States, while the WBC Classic is just for the Japanese market.
Netflix has an interest in expanding in Japan, which is why potentially featuring Shohei Ohtani and the Japanese team was appealing. Japan has won three of the five WBCs, including the 2023 title.
Netflix has expanded into sports over the years with a Christmas Day NFL doubleheader, a deal to be the home of the next two Women’s World Cups and to create sports-adjacent, WWE weekly shows.
(Photo of Shohei Ohtani in the 2023 World Baseball Classic: Kenta Harada / Getty Images)
Aug 26, 2025
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