Where Can You Watch Farm Games? The Short Answer
A first-round draft pick's professional debut, a development-contract player fighting for a roster spot, a veteran working his way back from injury. Farm (ni-gun, or minor league) games are full of stories you will never see by following the first-team standings alone. Yet farm games have had far fewer viewing options than top-level games, making them a category where fans often ask where they can actually be watched. The short answer: as of August 2026, the service that officially advertises streaming of farm games for all 14 farm clubs is SKY PerfecTV!'s Pro Yakyu Set. This article first explains the 14-team structure of Japan's farm leagues, then walks through how to watch farm games via streaming, how the smartphone app works, and how to sign up, based on official announcements as of August 2026.
Fourteen Farm Teams: The Eastern and Western League System
NPB's farm system operates as two leagues, the Eastern League and the Western League. For decades it consisted only of the twelve NPB clubs' reserve teams, but in 2024 two new clubs joined: Oisix Niigata Albirex Baseball Club in the Eastern League and Kufu HAYATE Ventures Shizuoka in the Western League. As of 2026 the system stands at eight Eastern clubs and six Western clubs, fourteen in total. The Eastern League comprises Yomiuri, Yakult, DeNA, Seibu, Lotte, Nippon-Ham and Rakuten plus Niigata; the Western League comprises Chunichi, Hanshin, Hiroshima, Orix and SoftBank plus Shizuoka. The two newcomers are farm-only clubs without a first team, added to expand the opportunities for young players to gain game experience. For viewers, the expansion means more than two extra names in the standings: it created matchups that never existed among the twelve clubs' reserve teams alone, and watching each club's prospects face an independent farm-only opponent gives the league schedule noticeably more texture. For the background of this expansion and the policy debate around it, see Farm Reform and the Evolution of the Ni-gun System, and for how the farm organization actually develops players, see The Structure of the NPB Farm System.
Streaming of All 14 Farm Clubs: SKY PerfecTV!'s Pro Yakyu Set
As of August 2026, the backbone of farm-game viewing is SKY PerfecTV!'s Pro Yakyu Set. The official farm-dedicated page advertises "streaming of farm games for all 14 clubs", covering every Eastern and Western League team described above. The Pro Yakyu Set is, first and foremost, the service that officially promises live coverage of all regular-season games of the twelve Central and Pacific League clubs through the final out, and its coverage extends down to the farm level. The price is a monthly viewing fee of 4,504 yen plus SKY PerfecTV!'s basic fee of 429 yen (both tax included, per the official site as of August 2026). The official site also advertises that the sign-up month costs nothing, with the subscription fee, basic fee and joining fee all at 0 yen (as of August 2026). One contract covers both complete first-team coverage and streaming of the 14 farm clubs, which suits fans who want to follow both their club's first team and its farm team, or keep an eye on other clubs' prospects. For a full comparison of services including first-team coverage, see Where to Watch NPB Games: Broadcast and Streaming Services.
Watching Farm Games on Your Phone: The Pro Yakyu Set App
Because farm games center on streaming, you can follow them on a smartphone without sitting in front of a TV. The flow is to register a SKY PerfecTV! Members ID when signing up and log in to the Pro Yakyu Set app; the official site notes that a login is required for smartphone viewing (as of August 2026). The app lists broadcast and streaming schedules for both the first team and the farm team, and lets you start watching a game with one tap. It also includes a player encyclopedia with 53 statistical categories per player, which pairs well with farm viewing: when an unfamiliar prospect comes to the plate, you can look him up on the spot. There is a starting-lineup notification feature as well, but note that it covers official first-team games only and does not apply to farm games. Notifications can be customized by item, such as probable starters, scoring chances and runs, and a chat feature is available for selected games only. Streaming is not phone-only, either: the app has a cast feature, so connecting to a compatible TV lets you watch on the big screen (all per the official site as of August 2026). Follow a weekday-afternoon farm game while out, then finish it on the big screen at home; that kind of flexibility is what streaming makes possible.
From Sign-up to First Pitch
Signing up requires a B-CAS card or ACAS number, and the official site advises preparing it in advance. The number can be found on your TV or recorder itself, or on the B-CAS card inserted in it, so noting it down before you start avoids a common stumbling block. For TV viewing, the official site describes three steps: check that channel CS161 comes in, apply for the Pro Yakyu Set, and start watching. It states that viewing may take up to 30 minutes to activate after the application is complete (as of August 2026), so even a same-day decision usually gets you to the first pitch in time. Note that TV viewing presupposes reception equipment such as an antenna capable of receiving CS channels; in apartment buildings a shared antenna sometimes brings the channel in from the start, so checking whether CS161 comes in is the quickest first step. If you plan to watch mainly on your phone, the contract is the same: register a Members ID at sign-up and log in to the app, and you are ready.
Combining Streaming with Ballpark Visits
The appeal of farm games lies less in wins and losses than in following people. The road a drafted rookie travels to his first-team debut, or the grind of a development-contract player earning a spot on the 70-man roster, is a story witnessed only by those who keep watching farm games. How development players train and are compensated is explored in The Treatment of Development Players. It is also worth visiting a farm team's home ground when you can, while following everyday games via streaming. Farm ballparks put you far closer to the players than first-team stadiums, and you can often watch practice up close. For a picture of what a dedicated farm facility looks like, see Hanshin's Farm in Amagasaki, on the new complex the club opened in 2025. In late summer, as the first-team pennant races tighten, competition on the farm for roster spots and call-ups intensifies as well, and farm games become more compelling, not less. Learn the players' names and faces through streaming first, and a visit to the ballpark becomes a much richer experience.
Caveats: Things Can Change
Two caveats to close with. First, the official site states that the content and format of broadcasts and live streaming may change without notice. If there is a specific game or club you want to watch, the safe approach is to check the official streaming schedule before subscribing. Second, the prices and service details in this article are examples based on official announcements as of August 2026 and do not reflect changes made after writing. Always confirm the latest terms on the official site immediately before applying. An environment where farm games can be watched daily, together with the expanded 14-team farm system, greatly widens the pleasure of watching professional baseball players in the process of becoming.