Latest news with #NipponProfessionalBaseballOrganization
The Mainichi
30-04-2025
- Business
- The Mainichi
Japan trade watchdog probes baseball body over press pass revoking
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan's antitrust watchdog is probing the country's professional baseball league over its temporary revocation of press passes for a TV station that aired recorded Major League Baseball World Series games during the same time slots as Japan series matches, sources close to the matter said Wednesday. Nippon Professional Baseball Organization barred Fuji Television Network Inc. reporters from covering most of the Japan Series last year after the station aired a digest version of the Major League Baseball World Series game on Oct. 26 featuring Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani of Los Angeles Dodgers. It was Ohtani's first appearance in the World Series. Fuji TV repeatedly aired Major League digest programs through the end of October, including during time slots that overlapped with other stations' broadcasts of Japan Series games. NPB claimed that Fuji TV's broadcast of games from the rival baseball organization "severely damaged relations of trust," an association official said in November. But the Japan Fair Trade Commission views NPB's decision as an interference in transactions, potentially discouraging business between Major League Baseball and Japanese broadcasters, the sources said. NPB did not issue press passes to Fuji TV for other games involving Japan's national team in early November, barring the broadcaster's staff from entering stadiums and significantly limiting its coverage activities. The ban was lifted later that month.
Japan Times
28-02-2025
- Sport
- Japan Times
14 people from seven NPB teams admit to patronizing online casinos
Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball Organization said Thursday that 14 people from seven teams, including players and team officials, have voluntarily admitted to patronizing online casinos in the past. The NPB had called on its 12 baseball teams to have their members voluntarily report their use of online casinos, after the Orix Buffaloes announced on Feb. 21 that pitcher Taisuke Yamaoka participated in a poker tournament run by a foreign casino website. It did not disclose the names of the 14 people, all of whom used online casinos after February 2022, meaning that the three-year statute of limitations on simple gambling has yet to run out. In addition to the 14 individuals, there were reports of cases in which the statute of limitations had expired under the Penal Code, but they were not subject to the disclosure this time. The NPB said there have been no reports of gambling on baseball, which is prohibited by the Japanese professional baseball agreement. It will leave it up to each team on whether to lodge police reports or mete out punishments. "We take this very seriously," said Katsuhiko Nakamura, secretary-general of the NPB, adding that the NPB will take necessary measures in the wake of the disclosures. The organization will continue to accept voluntary reports for the time being.
