"India is one of the next key countries we are focused on"- Ryo Takahashi, Business Manager, India at MLB
The Major League Baseball (MLB) is the biggest and most popular baseball league in the world. The sport is majorly played in the US but also spans its wings across other nations, like Canada and Japan. In the US alone, it is the second most viewed sports league behind the NFL, capturing approximately 18% of the market share.
Much like American Football, the sport is yet to pick up across the globe. To that end, the MLB is taking small but firm steps to enter new markets, one of which is India, a sleeper giant in terms of sporting potential. In 2019, the league established its sixth international office, this time in Delhi. The six other overseas MLB offices are in places where baseball is hugely popular – London, Mexico, China, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan.
Hello India! 🇮🇳
Today we proudly announce the opening of our sixth global office in New Delhi, India. MLB SVP, International Jim Small presents #LondonSeries jerseys to Mohammad Kaif, assistant coach of @DelhiCapitals. https://t.co/GNazeh3gVd
To talk about the MLB and its growth, challenges, and opportunities, Japan’s Ryo Takahashi, who heads the business and commercial operations for MLB in India, joined Sportskeeda Business of Sports for an exclusive chat.
The Major League Baseball is one of the oldest professional sporting leagues in the world, with its history spanning over a century. Giving some basic insight into the league, Ryo said:
"Major League Baseball is the oldest professional sports league in the world. The National League was formed in 1876 and the American League in 1901. In 1903, the two leagues got together, forming the current structure of Major League Baseball. Currently, we have grown into 30 teams; 15 in each of the National and American League, including one team from Canada."
Baseball's history can be divided into a number of categories, including era, location, organizational type, game evolution, and political and cultural influences. The game evolved from older bat-and-ball sports that were already popular in England by the mid-18th century. Immigrants brought the game to North America, where the modern iteration emerged.
Baseball had gained widespread acceptance as the US's national sport by the late 19th century. Other than being popular in North America, baseball is also well-liked in the Caribbean, Central and South America, and East Asia, especially in Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan.
Speaking about the revenue models that the Major League Baseball looks at in order to establish a firm revenue structure, Ryo said:
"We have a unique revenue model where the league’s domestic and international revenue, including broadcast, consumer products, and league-wide sponsorships, are distributed equally among all 30 clubs. Each club has its respective ownership group that invests in the team’s roster, infrastructure, and operations. Ticket sales, local broadcasts, concessions, and local sponsors are some of the channels of revenue for each club."
Baseball was introduced in India by the Amateur Baseball Federation of India. The federation was established in December 1983 with the objective of promoting the game. Since then, the sport has taken baby steps towards a mainstream appeal. Speaking about the roadmap MLB is looking at in the coming years in relation to India as well as the world, Ryo said:
"We will continue to grow our domestic business, but have a vested interest in growing our international business. India is certainly one of the next key countries we are focused on; it is the biggest and fastest-growing region that is not yet known as a baseball-playing country."
The MLB has one of the longest yearly playing schedules of any sport. Each team plays 162 games per season, and six teams in each league advance to a four-round postseason tournament that culminates in the World Series, a best-of-seven championship series between the two league champions. Commenting on this unique feature of the game, Ryo said:
"If teams advance to the playoffs, they could play for another month. The process can certainly be grueling for the players spending the majority of the year with their teammates on the road. However, that is also the beauty of the game because it demands consistency over a long period of time to be considered great."
Explaining how the organization helps players out in this regard, he added:
"Operationally, we have experts in every area that make things as smooth as possible for players so they can focus on preparing for the game and performing at a high level. For the fans, it is also a treat to know that during the season, you can always expect your favorite team to be out there and playing every day."
The Major League Baseball kicked off its first-ever MLB Cup 2021 in India, a youth tournament for children aged 9-11. A total of 12 teams from across the country came to participate in the competition. Speaking about his experience of organizing the competition during the pandemic, Ryo said:
"The first edition of the MLB Cup was conducted in December of 2021, which was after the Indian government had allowed sporting activities for children to be conducted. We followed every protocol and took extensive measures to make sure that our participants were put in a safe environment."
Speaking about his hopes and expectations for the future of MLB in India, Ryo said:
"I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t believe in the potential of the Indian market. I love the vibrant personalities, the melting pot of culture, and most definitely, the energy that exists on a day-to-day basis. Our job is to lay down the foundation and eventually create a self-sustaining ecosystem. We are focused on providing opportunities, especially at the youth level, so we can build a generation of baseball fans who, over time, will help structure that ecosystem."
India has a long way to go in terms of building infrastructure for baseball. Elaborating on the challenges he and his team are facing while trying to build the sport in India from the base up, Ryo said:
"Baseball is often seen as an expensive sport with a lot of equipment. But the same can be said about cricket. The beauty of it all is that you can find kids and adults finding a street corner or a driveway or any small piece of land...to get in a game of cricket. There is plenty of space and flat grounds in India, and at every venue that we set foot on, we try to show the local people how they can create a safe baseball environment using local materials that are affordable."
Ryo added that his team recently worked with a team from Kerela that, using coconut trees, improvised and created a pitch in the middle of a forest.
The Major League Baseball (MLB) Cup will return to India after a successful maiden iteration last year, bigger and better than before. The competition aims to reinforce MLB's dedication to youth development and is a part of the league's bigger initiative to boost baseball participation in India.
The MLB Cup India 2022 regional tournaments saw an incredible 113 teams compete - a significant increase from the 12 teams that competed the previous year. The top teams from each location qualified after 135 games and 549 innings, and a total of 16 teams advanced to the finals, which will be held in Delhi-NCR at the NOIDA Cricket Stadium from December 2 to December 4.