Remarks by MLB agent Scott Boras and Netflix's exclusive streaming of the WBC in Japan have highlighted the profitability of the Japanese market and the potential for expansion in Asia.
A recurring column reports that prominent MLB agent Scott Boras floated his own proposal to expand into markets including Asia as a public topic of discussion. It also presents the view that the US baseball industry's perspective on Asia has changed, opening discussion on the future direction of team management in Japan and the United States.
The background to this discussion includes Netflix's exclusive streaming rights to the spring World Baseball Classic (WBC). One view presented is that the scale of broadcast rights fees in the Japanese market is an indication of its high profitability.
Professor Itaru Kobayashi (小林 至) of J. F. Oberlin University said that the US baseball industry's view of Asia had long been confined to the domestic market, but that the success of opening series in Japan and South Korea, together with the performance of Japanese players, had brought out the market's potential. This has made the possibility of coexistence and growth for Japanese and US baseball teams a focus of discussion.
These remarks and expert views are leading to renewed recognition of the Japanese market's appeal, while specific implementation measures, timing and the number of teams remain undecided, and developments going forward are being watched.