Two Major Sports in Television Ratings
Professional baseball and ekiden relay races consistently record high television ratings among Japanese sports broadcasts. The New Year Hakone Ekiden regularly achieves ratings above 25 percent, with the 100th edition in 2024 reaching 28.1 percent for the outbound leg and 29.8 percent for the return, rivaling the Japan Series as a top-tier sports broadcast. Professional baseball night games once boasted ratings exceeding 20 percent. In the 1980s, Giants games averaged in the high 20s, and the legendary October 8, 1994 showdown between Chunichi and the Giants drew an astonishing 48.8 percent. However, from the 2000s onward, those numbers declined with reduced terrestrial broadcasts, and by the 2010s even Giants games frequently fell below 10 percent. Meanwhile, ekiden has maintained stable popularity, and the relationship between the two mirrors the history of Japanese sports media. Since Nippon Television began full live coverage of all Hakone Ekiden legs in 1987, viewership has steadily climbed.
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Differences and Overlaps in Fan Demographics
Professional baseball fans and ekiden fans have distinct characteristics. Baseball fans have strong team allegiance and follow games throughout the 143-game season. NPB's total attendance in 2024 reached approximately 26.5 million, averaging around 30,000 per game. Ekiden fans primarily support universities or corporate teams, concentrating around specific events like the New Year period. Roadside spectators for the Hakone Ekiden regularly exceed one million, with alumni and local residents cheering enthusiastically. However, significant overlap exists between both fan bases, reflecting Japanese preferences for sports in general. A 2023 Chuo Research survey found baseball ranked first among favorite sports at 42 percent, with marathon and ekiden fourth at 22 percent. Recent growth in soccer (J.League) and basketball (B.League) has further diversified the sports fan landscape. Among teens and twenties, some surveys show soccer surpassing baseball, highlighting a notable generational preference gap.
Community Roots as Common Ground
Both professional baseball and ekiden share deep community roots. Baseball teams are tied to the identity of their home cities, as seen in the Hiroshima Carp's 'Carp Joshi' phenomenon and the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters' 2023 opening of ES CON FIELD HOKKAIDO, where team-community bonds grow stronger each year. Ekiden features local residents lining routes to cheer, and municipalities along the Hakone Ekiden course leverage the race for regional promotion. Hakone Town sees a surge in tourists on January 2 and 3, with accommodation occupancy exceeding 90 percent. Similarly, baseball team relocations significantly impact local economies; Rakuten's 2005 entry into Sendai reportedly generates approximately 20 billion yen in annual economic ripple effects. Both exemplify how Japanese sports are deeply connected to local communities and attract attention in the context of regional revitalization.
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Changing Viewing Habits in the Digital Era
The spread of streaming services has significantly changed how people watch baseball and ekiden. Baseball is now available on services like DAZN and Pacific League TV, making television ratings alone insufficient for measuring popularity. DAZN began streaming NPB in 2017 and now broadcasts approximately 900 games live annually. Pacific League TV covers all home games of the six Pacific League teams. While ekiden streaming has also increased, with Nippon Television's TVer platform seeing growing simultaneous viewership for the Hakone Ekiden, the cultural tradition of watching with family on New Year keeps terrestrial ratings high. Baseball fan behavior has shifted from simply watching to seeking experiences, with the value of in-stadium attendance being reassessed. In the digital era, both remain central to Japanese sports culture, expanding fan touchpoints through a multi-channel approach spanning television, streaming, and live attendance.