With its loss-making gamble of obtaining Japan streaming rights for all FIFA World Cup games, CyberAgent’s youth-focused internet broadcaster, Abema, is hoping to engage users with different features as it jostles for a place in Japan’s competitive streaming market.
A free, centralized viewing option for the World Cup is something of a new experience for viewers in Japan, who in the past relied on major TV broadcasters — or in limited cases livestreaming services — to watch World Cup matches.
This isn’t Abema’s first foray into sports — the broadcaster also offers a range of programming in this segment, including professional sumo and mixed martial arts.