Netflix deal in Japan In Japan,
Netflix acquired the exclusive rights to the tournament for an estimated 15 billion
yen. Previously, the World Baseball Classic had been split between
free-to-air (FTA) television and the
pay television channel
J Sports, with Japan's games usually being the only ones broadcast by FTA channels. The Netflix agreement faced a mixed reaction among fans and critics, as it marked the first time that Japan's WBC games would not be available on FTA television. Bars raised concerns that they would not be able to stream the tournament at their establishments due to Netflix's
terms of service prohibiting commercial use, with some venues electing to do so discreetly in order to evade detection and legal complaints. As another workaround, some
karaoke parlors enabled the ability for patrons to sign into the Netflix app in their private booths, so that they could watch the tournament with their friends. Netflix announced that it would offer a one-month subscription for 500 yen (approximately US$) during March as a promotional offer for the tournament, and also organized public viewing parties in collaboration with venues such as
Aeon and pub chain The HUB. Others believed that the lack of WBC coverage on television would reduce
fatigue from the
excessive media coverage of
Shohei Ohtani by Japanese terrestrial networks. According to the Japanese newspaper
Nikkei, the number of Netflix
mobile app downloads grew about five times higher than in March of the prior year. Free coverage was also available via radio, with
Nippon Broadcasting System holding rights to all Japan's games, and
Nippon Cultural Broadcasting broadcasting one quarterfinal, one semifinal, and the final, regardless of whether Japan played or not, streaming service
Radiko showing both radio stations audios. As part of its subcontract to produce the telecasts, Nippon Television also received the rights to produce a series of
specials following the tournament. But from February, support for the American team started to sour, first, it was announced that American pitcher
Tarik Skubal had decided to pitch only a single game before returning to
spring training with the
Detroit Tigers. A few hours later, that game was announced as a
group pool stage game against Great Britain. The decision was met with controversy, with fans calling Skubal a "quitter" and wondering if it would be a better option to pick another pitcher in his place. Skubal blamed the calendar, saying, "If this tournament were in the middle of season, like if it was Ice hockey at the 2026 Winter Olympics|[Olympic] hockey, I'd had no problem playing those games". Later in the tournament, fan scrutiny increased in part due to a statement by
Bryce Harper comparing the tournament with the Olympics. This sparked discussion about American players' commitment to a team, which had also been questioned in prior WBC editions. The peak of debate went after the loss over Italy during group pool play. Prior to the U.S.–Italy game, U.S. manager
Mark DeRosa erroneously mentioned in an interview with
MLB Network that Team USA had qualified for the quarterfinals, though no spot had been clinched at the time. DeRosa also allowed players to celebrate the early qualification, contributing to a loss against Italy that left the U.S. team's fate in jeopardy. The U.S. ended up qualifying for the quarterfinals after Mexico lost to the same Italian team. Following this, a win against Canada and a controversial win over the Dominican Republic guaranteed a spot in the championship game. After the loss in the final to Venezuela, fans called for DeRosa to step down from the national team, even if he wanted to manage Team USA for the next WBC.
Insurance rule debate and Puerto Rico roster issues If players are on Major League Baseball 40-man rosters, they must have an insurance policy that compensates teams (in case a player is injured during the tournament) or else have a written
waiver allowing the player to play. The reasons to refuse a player are various, but often related to age, extensive injury history or recent injuries. Most of WBC and MLB-related insurances are issued by National Financial Partners, an
Aon company. This rule has long been a point of contention for fans, teams, and organizers, because it often affects the performance of teams and makes teams heavily dependent on knowing the eligibility of a player beforehand. For example, in 2023,
Clayton Kershaw was not allowed to play for Team USA due to an insurance refusal, but was allowed to play in 2026 because he is now technically classified as a
free agent due to his retirement following the
2025 MLB season. The rule reached another boiling point in 2026 due to widespread insurance refusal among players, such as
Jose Altuve and
Miguel Rojas of Venezuela. The most notable case in 2026 was with Team Puerto Rico, which suffered from the refusal of several potential players, the most notable being
Francisco Lindor and
Carlos Correa. The impact on the team prompted fans to boycott the tournament, and the federation, alongside the local government, considered withdrawing from the tournament completely due to the insurance issues with the players. The situation quickly escalated to WBC and MLB leaderships, resulting in an emergency meeting with Puerto Rico on the afternoon of January 31. After the meeting, it was reported that
World Baseball Classic Inc. (WBCI), MLB, and the
Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) were negotiating with insurers to change some decisions. On February 1, another meeting was held between MLB and Puerto Rican federation. Reports indicated that the Puerto Rican federation and local businesspeople were working to secure backup insurance in case the original insurance re-refused the players, but the three players asked by Puerto Rico were unable to be selected due to the insurance rules. Lindor was ruled out for the Classic on February 11, due to having surgery on his hand for a
hamate bone injury.
Visa denials for Cuban staff The
Baseball Federation of Cuba announced on February 25, 2026, that American officials had denied visas to eight members of its traveling party, including the organization's president and general secretary due to the ongoing
2026 Cuban crisis. The visa denials were tied to the tightening of immigration policies, which currently require specialized licensing for Cuban team officials to enter the U.S. All Cuban players and coaches were cleared to enter the country due to visa exemptions for athletes and coaches participating in big sporting tournaments, Olympic qualifiers, and events supported by Major League Baseball.
Non-usage of ABS As was the case in recent WBCs, the 2026 tournament uses
the regular season MLB rules of the prior year's season. This meant that the
Automated Ball-Strike System (ABS) challenge rules would not be in play for the 2026 WBC. Following the opening game of the tournament between
Chinese Taipei and
Australia, umpire Omar Peralta was heavily criticized by Taiwanese fans and media for missing key calls, leading Taiwanese media to describe his
strike-zone as an "
amoeba". Chinese Taipei ended up losing 0–3 against Australia, in one of the most critical games of Pool C, which caused the controversy to deepen and raised calls for an early adoption of ABS. On March 4, 2026,
Ronald Acuña Jr. mistakenly tried to use the ABS challenge system, in
Venezuela's pre-tournament exhibition game against the
Houston Astros. On March 15, 2026, the
Dominican Republic lost to the
United States in the semifinal on a controversial strike during a full count where had it been reviewed and called correctly, would have allowed
Geraldo Perdomo to walk as it was a ball. This led to further calls to implement ABS during the tournament.
Taiwanese Premier Cho Jung-tai's visit In March 2026, Taiwanese Premier
Cho Jung-tai made a personal trip to
Tokyo to watch the 2026 World Baseball Classic, marking the first time the Taiwanese Premier visited Japan since diplomatic relations were severed in 1972. Chinese
Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson
Guo Jiakun criticized the visit as having "evil designs" and warned "Japan's indulgence in provocation ... will inevitably come at a cost". The Japanese government defended the trip as a personal affair, while Cho said he paid for the trip himself. Cho claimed that his out-of-pocket expenses included purchasing WBC tickets from Taiwan's
Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL). Since tickets for Taiwan's matches had sold out early, this further triggered controversy regarding the CPBL's potential involvement in the illegal resale of tickets. ==Notes==