This year is a good year for sports buffs. The Milano Cortina Winter Olympics were followed by the Paralympic Winter Games and then the World Baseball Classic. And come summer, there will be the FIFA World Cup 2026.

In addition, Japan’s regular sports calendar has also kept enthusiasts happy and super busy since the start of this year, with the annual “ekiden” long-distance relay race and the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament in January.

But amid the excitement, some people are voicing concerns.

In Japan, there is no terrestrial broadcast coverage of the World Baseball Classic quarterfinals, which starts today. This is because Netflix, the U.S. video streaming service giant, holds the exclusive paid service rights to the 2026 WBC.

As someone of the generation who always took “free TV” for granted, I have mixed feelings about having to sign up for a paid subscription to watch the games.

“The right to universal access” is an expression I have been hearing of late. It implies that a nationally popular event should be available to everyone for free viewing.

According to Taisuke Matsumoto, the author of “Sports Business Law,” British law does not recognize any exclusive, live broadcasting contract where the Olympics and other specially designated sporting events are concerned.

There may be people who want to see their hero, Shohei Ohtani, in action but don’t know how to subscribe to Netflix or set it up. Or they simply don’t have that sort of money now.

Is there any way to make free viewing available in Japan for such fans? Hoping to find some hint, I read the minutes of British Parliament deliberations from 30 years ago.

The MPs in favor of free viewing asserted that special sporting events are national cultural assets, not mere entertainment. On the other hand, those opposed to it feared that government intervention would harm the autonomy of broadcasters and their freedom to compete.

The issue is not as simple as I thought.

From analog to digital and then to online streaming, the TV viewing environment has changed drastically.

Whom are sports broadcasts meant for, and how should the rights of viewers be dealt with?

I suppose these are the questions we need to start asking ourselves.

--The Asahi Shimbun, March 14

Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.

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