The World Baseball Classic will be back in 2026 and once again air in the U.S. on Fox and Fox Sports networks.
Fox Sports announced Tuesday that its networks will retain the broadcast rights after hosting the WBC for the first time in 2023.
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Seven games, including three featuring Team USA, quarterfinal matchups and the championship game, will air on Fox. The rest of the matchups will air on FS1, FS2 and across Fox Sports’ streaming services. Fox Deportes will also carry Spanish language broadcasts of the games.
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Next year’s WBC will be the fifth since its debut in 2006, when San Diego’s Petco Park hosted the championship game. The tournament has been played in 2009, 2013, 2017 and 2023, with the title games in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Miami.
The World Baseball Classic will air on Fox Sports networks again in 2026.
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Next year’s championship game will be played in the Miami Marlins’ LoanDepot Park for a second straight tournament. The championship game is scheduled for March 17.
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The WBC has grown in popularity since its inception. The dramatic 2023 final between Japan and Team USA featured then-Los Angeles Angels teammates Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout facing off in the final at-bat. Ohtani struck out Trout for the final out to secure a 3-2 win for Japan.
A full schedule for next year’s tournament hasn’t been set. But Team USA’s roster is taking shape. All-Stars Aaron Judge, Cal Raleigh, Paul Skenes and Bobby Witt Jr. are among the players who have committed to playing for Team USA.
