JAPAN Law and Practice Contributed by: Atsushi Igarashi, Yoichiro Kuriyama, Misa Takahashi and Kosuke Ojio, TMI Associates
Broadcasters primarily exploit broadcasting rights to increase advertising revenue and subscription income. High‑profile sporting events attract large audiences, boosting the commercial value of advertis - ing slots and strengthening the competitive position of subscription‑based services and streaming platforms. For sports rights‑holders, broadcasting rights repre - sent a major source of revenue. To maximise these fees, many rights‑holders – such as professional leagues – centrally manage the broadcasting rights to their competitions and package them for sale to broadcasters or media platforms. These rights are often granted on an exclusive basis within particular territories or platforms to enhance their commercial value. Although the grant of broadcasting rights and the ownership of copyright in the audiovisual content of broadcasts are legally distinct, broadcasting rights agreements typically address how copyright owner - ship is allocated. A notable example is the J.League’s July 2016 agree - ment with Perform Group, operator of the DAZN streaming service, involving broadcasting rights worth approximately JPY210 billion for the ten‑year period beginning with the 2017 season. In 2023, the agree - ment was extended until the 2033–34 season, with broadcasting fees reportedly set at approximately JPY239.5 billion for the eleven seasons from 2023 to 2033. Under this agreement, the copyrights in match footage are owned by the J.League. As broadcasting rights fees for large‑scale interna - tional sporting events – such as the Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup – continue to rise, the Japan Consortium, composed of NHK (Japan’s public broadcaster) and private broadcasters, has been established to facilitate the sharing of broadcasting rights, joint programme production, and the pooling of personnel and technical resources required for broadcasting. Regarding the Olympic Games, the Japan Consortium reached an agreement with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to acquire broadcasting rights for four editions: the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Games, the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, the 2030 French Alps Winter Olympic Games
and the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games. The total fee is approximately JPY97.5 billion. These rights cover television and radio broadcasting, as well as all media rights in Japan, including internet and mobile distribu - tion. Unlike certain other jurisdictions, Japan currently has no specific legislation guaranteeing free‑to‑air cover - age of designated sporting events. A recent example illustrating Japan’s evolving broadcasting landscape is the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC), an interna - tional baseball tournament that is especially popular domestically. Netflix has reportedly acquired exclusive streaming rights for Japan and will distribute all 47 games – including those involving Japan’s national team – via live and on‑demand streaming. As a result, the tournament will not be available on traditional ter- restrial television, historically the primary means by which Japanese audiences watch major sporting events. This development may signal a growing trend in Japan toward exclusive distribution of major sport - ing events through paid streaming platforms. Under Japanese law, there is no specific proprietary right that protects sporting events themselves, and sporting matches are not, as such, safeguarded by intellectual property rights. Nevertheless, sports event organisers are able to control and commercially exploit their events through a combination of property rights, contractual arrangements and regulatory measures. Sports event organisers – including national federa - tions, leagues and clubs – typically manage their facili - ties and events by securing property rights, leasehold rights, or other venue‑use rights through agreements with facility owners. Access to the venue is then regu - lated by the organisers, who grant entry to athletes, coaches, officials, media representatives and specta - tors under specified conditions. When granting access, organisers generally obtain consent from athletes and other participants to use their likenesses in event footage and broadcasts. 3. Sports Events 3.1 Proprietary Rights and Event Management
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