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As one of the pioneers in the field of sports marketing in Japan, Dentsu saw the market potential of Major League Baseball (MLB) and purchased rights to broadcast the games in the mid-80s. Japan’s zeal for MLB soared to new heights when Nomo signed with the L.A. Dodgers in 1995. Following his success, numerous pitchers became major leaguers, and, in 2001, Ichiro Suzuki became MLB’s first Japanese position player. As “Ichiro” became a household name in the US, it was no surprise that Hideki Matsui, one of Japan’s biggest sluggers, made his pinstripe debut. With DCI spearheading efforts and Dentsu’s strong relationships with Japanese network TV stations as well as marketers and sponsors, MLB reached an unprecedented fan-base in Japan.
REAL RESULTS
MLB is one of the most watched sports in Japan today. In fact, nearly every MLB game is broadcast daily among the five Japanese rights holder stations. Every sports news program opens with MLB and highlights about its Japanese players, and, despite the time difference, fans gather annually to cheer for their favorite teams’ season openers. Despite the difficulties of covering sports in a foreign country due to cultural differences and awareness, DCI’s commitment to serve not only as the rights holder, but also as a cultural ambassador to both sides is recognized and praised by Major League Baseball, its teams and Japanese broadcasters.
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