Why wbc Is Trending Today?

In a significant shift for baseball fans, the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) will no longer be broadcast on terrestrial television, with Netflix securing the exclusive domestic streaming rights for all 47 matches. This change, which has sparked debate among fans, means that viewers will need a Netflix subscription to watch the tournament, marking a departure from traditional television viewing. The move has been driven by a significant increase in broadcasting rights fees, with the cost soaring from 30 billion yen to potentially 150 billion yen. Meanwhile, in the United States, viewers will still be able to watch the games on television. The decision has been met with mixed reactions, with some fans expressing concern that the shift to Netflix could lead to a decline in baseball's popularity and a loss of the communal viewing experience that terrestrial television provides.

Netflix has secured the exclusive broadcasting rights for the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) in Japan, which means all 47 matches will be available only on the platform. This marks the first time the tournament won't be broadcast on terrestrial television in Japan. The move has sparked reactions from various parties, including the Yomiuri Shimbun, which issued a statement expressing that Netflix was granted the broadcasting rights without going through them. The Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) also released a statement acknowledging Netflix's exclusive domestic streaming rights for the 2026 WBC, which was previously announced by World Baseball Classic Inc. (WBCI).