Konami Digital Entertainment has been selected as a global sponsor for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, marking a return to the international baseball tournament following its involvement in 2023.

According to a release, the competition will take place from March 5th to March 18th, 2026, across four host cities: Tokyo, Japan; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Houston, Texas; and Miami, Florida.

Organised by World Baseball Classic, Inc., the World Baseball Classic (WBC) is an international tournament featuring national and regional teams. First launched in 2006, the event is set to host its sixth edition in 2026, with 20 countries and territories competing for the title.

Konami Digital Entertainment, the gaming arm of Japanese entertainment company Konami Group, stated that its sponsorship aims to “deliver the appeal of baseball to more people” and contribute to the sustainable development of sports culture worldwide.

The financial terms of the sponsorship were not disclosed.

Konami’s baseball portfolio

Konami Digital Entertainment is known for a range of sports titles, particularly in baseball. Its PAWAPURO series — short for Powerful Pro Baseball — first launched on home consoles in 1994 and has since become one of the company’s longest-running franchises.

According to the release, the PAWAPURO console series has sold over 26.3m copies as of December 2025. Its mobile titles have surpassed 53m downloads as of November 2025.

In addition, the company publishes the Professional Baseball Spirits franchise, which debuted in 2004. The mobile entry, Professional Baseball Spirits A, has recorded more than 70m cumulative downloads as of February 2026, according to the release.

Konami also expanded its licensed portfolio in October 2024 with the launch of eBaseball: MLB PRO SPIRIT, an officially licensed Major League Baseball mobile title.

Continued investment in sport

Konami previously served as a global sponsor for the 2023 edition of the World Baseball Classic. Its renewed involvement signals continued investment in traditional sport properties alongside its video game portfolio.

While Konami is primarily recognised within the video games sector — including esports-adjacent titles such as eFootball — its backing of global sporting events highlights the growing overlap between traditional sports audiences and interactive entertainment.