Major League Baseball's quest to expand its international footprint faces significant hurdles this year. The sport's global tournament, the World Baseball Classic (WBC), is underway, featuring a Team USA squad that recently suffered a shocking loss to Italy. This comes despite the tournament's critical role in MLB's strategy, highlighted by Japan's 2023 victory led by Shohei Ohtani, whose $700mn contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers has made him baseball's most recognizable face.

MLB's pivot towards Asia includes hosting seasons in Seoul and Tokyo, but doubts persist about sustaining global interest, especially with a Netflix deal potentially reducing free-to-air viewership in Japan.