USA designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (12) celebrates with Mike Trout (L) and Paul Goldschmidt (46) after hitting a three-run home run against Great Britain during the World Baseball Classic at Chase Field in Phoenix on March 11, 2023. Fox Sports announced Tuesday it has secured American broadcast rights for the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
Seven games will air on the Fox network itself: three of the United States team’s Pool B games, two quarterfinal matchups and the championship game, which is set for March 17 in Miami.
The rest of the WBC games will air on FS1, FS2, the Fox Sports app, Fox One and Tubi. Fox Deportes will carry all 28 games for Spanish-language viewers.
Twenty teams will compete in the sixth iteration of the World Baseball Classic, with games staged in Miami, Houston, Tokyo and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Fox broadcast its first WBC in 2023, with the championship game between Japan and the United States garnering 5.2 million viewers on average.
“FOX Sports has been a great partner to MLB for decades showcasing the skill of the players, storylines on and off the field, and intensity of the competition, which will all be on full display during the World Baseball Classic,” MLB deputy commissioner for business and media Noah Garden said in a statement. “While it’s known as America’s favorite pastime, baseball also is a global game with talented players coming from around the world. In again bringing the World Baseball Classic to baseball fans in the U.S., FOX Sports will help increase the event’s profile and capture the incredible result of when baseball competition meets national pride.”
In August, it was announced that Netflix acquired the rights to stream every WBC game in Japan, home of the WBC defending champions. It’s the first live event Netflix will stream in Japan.
–Field Level Media
