Sasaki’s quarterfinal match against Mexico, the highest viewership rating in Japanese baseball, 48.8%, but the quarterfinals, 48%, the highest in WBC

‘A 48% viewer rating is completely crazy.’

On the 16th, the World Baseball Classic (WBC), 메이저놀이터 where Shohei Ohtani (29, LA Angels) started, played in the quarterfinals of the second round against Italy. TV ratings in Japan recorded an average of 48% (based on the Kanto region centered on Tokyo). Darvish Yu (37, San Diego) started as a starter, far surpassing Korea-Japan match (44.4%) in the first round held on the 10th. The highest ratings ever for WBC changed in 6 days.

The viewership rating for the Korea-Japan game on the three domestic terrestrial broadcasters was 11.7%.

From the first round to the quarterfinals, all five matches of the Japanese national team held at the Tokyo Dome exceeded 40% in viewer ratings. 41.9% against China on the 9th, when Ohtani played as the starting pitcher-3rd hitter, 43.1% against the Czech Republic on the 11th, when Rocky Sasaki (22, Chiba Lotte) started, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto (25, Orix) took the mound to Australia on the 12th. Metastases recorded 43.2%.

It easily surpassed the record of the 2022 Qatar World Cup, when the Japanese national soccer team advanced to the round of 16. The highest viewer rating of the Qatar World Cup was 42.9%, coming from the Costa Rica match in the group stage. Japan, which defeated Germany in the first game, lost to Costa Rica 0-1.

A total of 208,269 players entered the 5 games. The average was 41,654 per game.

The Japanese media introduced that an American data company used the expression ‘completely crazy’ while mentioning the phenomenal viewership ratings.

Why are Japanese people crazy about WBC?

The thirst for the WBC, the world’s best national competition, was great. The WBC is the only international tournament in which top players in the major leagues participate. It was postponed due to Corona 19, but it was held in 6 years after the 4th tournament in 2017. Japan, the winner of the first and second rounds in 2006 and 2009, is aiming for its first championship in 14 years. They want to relive the glory of the past.

Expectations are high as they form the strongest power. The Japanese national team showed overwhelming performance and won 5 consecutive victories and advanced to the semifinals. It lived up to the expectations of the fans. Currently, it is evaluated as the team with the closest power to winning.

Ohtani, who shook up the major leagues with the ‘double sword style’, ace Darvish, who won 16 wins last year, Sasaki, who threw a fastball at 164 km/h, Yamamoto, who won four crowns as a pitcher for two consecutive years, Masataka Yoshida (30, Boston), who entered the major leagues this season. , Munetaka Murakami (23, Yakult), who hit 56 home runs, and Kazuma Okamoto (27, Yomiuri), who hit 30 homers for 5 consecutive years, created stories for each game.

It is a condition that Japan, the ‘country of baseball’ that is serious about baseball, has no choice but to fall into the WBC.

In addition, Lars Nutba (26, St. Louis) became the first non-Japanese to join, and he played an active part in karate. He batted first in all games and recorded five consecutive hits and a batting average of .36 and 8 runs. When Nutba, a Japanese-American, was selected as the national team player, there were not a few people who had doubts. This perception has been transformed into performance.

Above all, Ohtani’s presence was great. An unrealistic activity that would have appeared in a ‘baseball cartoon’ was reproduced in Japan. He appeared in all games as a hitter and posted a batting average of .438 with one home run and eight RBIs. In the first game of the first round, against China, he scored 4 scoreless innings, and in the match against Italy, he threw a fastball at 164 km/h. His every move became a hot topic and an issue.

It is the first time for a top Japanese star player to participate in the WBC. Ohtani was selected as the representative in 2017, but withdrew due to injury. After he moved to the major leagues in 2018, he had no chance to play in Japan. In six years he threw and hit a ball in front of Japanese spectators.

In Hokkaido, the average viewership rating for 165 minutes from 7:09 pm, right after the start of the match against Italy, reached 56.9%, and the highest per minute reached 61.5%.

Ohtani and Darvish are former Nippon Ham Fighters based in Sapporo, Hokkaido. He played as an ace at Nippon Ham before moving on to the major leagues. In addition, Japan national team coach Hideki Kuriyama directed Nippon Ham when Ohtani entered the United States as a rookie.

The highest viewer rating ever in Japanese baseball is 48.8%. It was a regular season match between the Yomiuri Giants and Chunichi Dragons held at Nagoya Stadium on October 8, 1994. It was the final match to decide the winner of the Central League that year. Yomiuri won the match 6-3.

The Japanese national team is set to play against Mexico in the quarterfinals on March 21st. It is highly likely that Sasaki will start. It seems that the highest ratings in Japanese baseball history can come out of this game.

‘A 48% viewer rating is completely crazy.’ On the 16th, the World Baseball Classic (WBC), 메이저놀이터 where Shohei Ohtani (29, LA Angels) started, played in the quarterfinals of the second round against Italy. TV ratings in Japan recorded an average of 48% (based on the Kanto region centered on Tokyo). Darvish Yu (37, San Diego) started as…