World Baseball Classic Growth Continues with Record 2026 Tournament

By: Caleb Goldstein

April 7, 2026

Photo Credit: Associated Press

Following the remarkable finish of the 2023 World Baseball Classic between Japan and the United States, many believed the tournament was sparking a revitalization of baseball on the world stage. Although teams like the U.S. were facing problems with players declining to participate due to injury risk before the MLB season, many nations were bringing in world-class talent to put it all on the line for their country. As the notable players have signed on, the 2026 WBC signaled this global growth through record viewership, expanded sponsorships, and increased international competition.​

The Play

The tournament began with the round-robin play, where the top two teams advanced from each pool, with Canada surprising to make the quarterfinal round for the first time. The elimination rounds started with close duels, with Italy being the story of the tournament and Venezuela shocking Japan. The semifinals saw the United States and Venezuela pull away, and, despite a late rally from the United States, the finals ended in a 3-2 victory for Venezuela, their first-ever title

The Media

The most notable storyline occurred in pool play, when United States manager Mark DeRosa failed to understand the rules for advancement in the round robin stage of the tournament. Going into their game against Italy at 3-0, DeRosa supposedly assumed his team had already advanced, gameplanning accordingly and even saying so on national television. Luckily, Italy won the next game to advance, but it was nearly a major mistake that cost the United States a spot in the title match. Despite DeRosa’s attempts to backtrack on his words and MLB Network's initial decision to pull the interview from its platforms, his mishap made headlines. Spectators across social media expressed concerns about the manager’s credibility, and the incident added intrigue for fans during the opening rounds of the tournament.

The Sponsors

The WBC had nearly 70 companies sign on as corporate sponsors of the tournament, with nine major brands, such as Japan Airlines and New Balance, signed on as global sponsors. In addition to branding across television marketing and media ambassadors, the partner branding, which dates back to the inaugural tournament in 2006, was featured on the sleeves of each coach's and player's jerseys, as well as the helmet decals for each respective country. Key partner branding included DIRECTV ads in the United States, T-Mobile ads in Puerto Rico, and Visit Curacao in the Netherlands. In a tournament-first, each opening-round pool had presenting partners representing the WBC coverage location, allowing for branding opportunities at on-site locations. Houston and Miami partnered with Capital One, while San Juan highlighted Discover Puerto Rico.

The Retail Sector

To add to the interest and revenue from the media and sponsors, the WBC had 30 different companies create licensed products for fans to purchase. Companies like Baseball Lifestyle 101, Franklin Sports, and Topps developed products sold online through the MLB Shop and in 20 retailers across the tournament's four host cities. The WBC also focused on the gaming sector, partnering with Sony and San Diego Studios to add a mode that let gamers play as their favorite country in MLB The Show 26. Limited-time promotions also ran in mobile games like 9 Innings Rivals and KBO Pro Baseball V to reach younger sports fans.

The Viewership

This past WBC had over 10 million viewers watching the championship on average, the highest ever for the tournament. Viewership increased by over 125% from the previous WBC championship, with an average of just over 4 million viewers for the showdown between the United States and Japan. The tournament averaged around 2 million viewers throughout all rounds across FS1, FS2, and Fox. This marked a spike of over 150% from the 2023 event, in which viewership stayed right around 500,000.

With the backing of player participation, sponsorships, and viewers, the World Baseball Classic looks to be a prominent sporting event for years to come.