Konami Backs 2026 Baseball Classic

Konami Digital Entertainment has signed up again as a global sponsor for the 2026 World Baseball Classic. The tournament will run from March 5 to March 18, 2026, in four cities: Tokyo, San Juan, Houston and Miami. The Classic is organized by World Baseball Classic Inc. and will feature 20 national teams. Konami says its goal is to bring baseball’s excitement to more people and help grow sports culture worldwide. The money involved in the deal was not made public. Konami is well known for baseball video games. Its long‑running PAWAPURO series started in 1994 and has sold more than 26 million copies on consoles.

Mobile games from the same franchise have been downloaded over 53 million times by late 2025. The company also owns the Professional Baseball Spirits series, which launched in 2004. Its mobile version has over 70 million downloads as of early 2026. In October 2024, Konami added a new licensed game: eBaseball MLB PRO SPIRIT for mobile devices. Konami’s return to the Classic shows it values real‑world sports as much as its gaming titles. This partnership highlights how video game companies are increasingly involved in global sports events.

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