Sun Sep 14 05:10:00 UTC 2025: ## News Article:
**Egawa Predicts Shohei Ohtani’s Participation Could Drive Netflix WBC Subscriptions**
**Tokyo, Japan** – Former Yomiuri Giants ace Suguru Egawa has weighed in on Netflix’s acquisition of the exclusive Japanese broadcasting rights for the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC), expressing reservations about its potential reach. In his YouTube program “Suguru Egawa’s Takasare,” the legendary pitcher noted, “This is a big deal. But will everyone pay to watch?”
Egawa believes the key to driving subscriptions hinges on the participation of Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani. “If Ohtani plays, I think people will pay to subscribe,” he stated. “If Ohtani participates, I think there’s that feeling of ‘I’ll subscribe.'”
While acknowledging the challenge of getting Ohtani to participate after Japan’s previous WBC victory, Egawa emphasized, “Whether Ohtani comes or not is huge. But Ohtani already won the world championship last time. What will happen? This will be a major topic of discussion as the new year begins.”
The exclusive Netflix broadcast marks a significant shift for Japanese baseball fans, who have traditionally enjoyed free-to-air coverage of major tournaments. Ohtani’s involvement could prove to be the deciding factor in whether this new model finds widespread acceptance.
First Piper 