How a pandemic-delayed tournament set a new global baseball record
In short: After a two-year delay caused by the pandemic, the 2023 World Baseball Classic returned with unprecedented scale. Beyond the expanded roster of 20 teams, the tournament shattered attendance records and captivated massive television audiences across Asia and the Americas.
Originally slated for 2021, the fifth iteration of the World Baseball Classic was postponed following a May 2020 cancellation due to COVID-19. The tournament finally commenced on March 8, 2023, featuring an expanded field of 20 national teams. While the 16 participants from the 2017 edition earned automatic qualification, four additional spots were determined through qualifying rounds held in late 2022 across the Africa, Europe, Americas, Asia, and Oceania regions.
The tournament's impact was most visible in the stands and on screens. Total attendance reached 1,306,414, the highest in the event's history, with the first round alone drawing over one million fans. In Japan, the scale of interest was immense; the Japan–South Korea pool game averaged 29.9 million viewers, while the quarterfinal against Italy set a new Japanese viewership record with 38.2 million viewers. In the United States, the championship game peaked at 6.5 million viewers, establishing a new American record for a WBC game.
On the field, Japan secured its third title by defeating the defending champions, the United States, with a 3–2 victory in the final. This victory allowed Japan to join the Dominican Republic as the only teams to win the tournament with an undefeated record. The tournament's standout performer was Shohei Ohtani, who was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player. The event also saw the emergence of new competitors, including the Czech Republic, Great Surprising, and Nicaragua, marking their first appearances in the competition.
Opens the Intellect+ feed with this card first. Swipe up for the next one.
Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: 2023 World Baseball Classic
To cite this card, link to https://intellectplus.co.uk/app/history-2023-world-baseball-classic.
How we source, check and correct cards: Editorial standards.
General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.
Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?
Related
More in Born on this day · More in History · Latest · A–Z · All topics
