Live streaming of all regional tournament games for the 108th National High School Baseball Championship on 'Virtual High School Baseball'

The Asahi Shimbun Company (President and CEO: Katsu Tsunoda) and Asahi Television Broadcasting Corporation (President: Toshiaki Imamura), with the cooperation of KDDI Corporation (President and CEO: Koji Matsuda), will live-stream all regional tournament games of the 108th National High School Baseball Championship (hosted by The Asahi Shimbun and the Japan High School Baseball Federation)—totaling over 3,000 games—for free via 'Virtual High School Baseball' (https://vk.sportsbull.jp/koshien/), operated by Sports Bull Inc. (President and CEO: Yusuke Wakamura) on the sports media platform 'SPORTS BULL,' starting June 13, 2026. 'Virtual High School Baseball' has been leveraging KDDI's cooperation to improve communication networks in local ballparks, enabling the live streaming of all regional tournament games from the first round since 2023. For the 108th tournament, the companies aim to reach more fans by continuing full-game live streaming, while addressing broader challenges facing high school baseball nationwide to support its continued popularization and development. ■ Free live streaming of over 3,000 regional games When 'Virtual High School Baseball' began on 'SPORTS BULL' in 2018, it broadcast about 700 games. The number of games streamed has increased annually, reaching 3,434 games across all 49 regional tournaments starting from the first round in 2023. In 2026, starting with the Okinawa tournament on June 13, all regional tournament games will be streamed live for free. Some tournaments will also feature broadcasts of the bracket drawing ceremonies. The companies strive to deliver the moment of glory for all high school baseball players across the country to parents, alumni, and all baseball fans. The national tournament, opening at Hanshin Koshien Stadium on August 5 (Wed), is also scheduled to be live-streamed in full for free. ■ Enhanced viewing experience with cheering functions and app-exclusive features In addition to the cheering message function linked with the student sports support community 'ANYTEAM,' which allows fans to send messages to players in real-time, four exclusive smartphone app features are provided to ensure a comfortable viewing experience for all 3,000+ games. A commenting feature that allows real-time cheering messages while watching live streams, creating a sense of unity as if being at the venue. Allows users to customize their TOP page by registering preferred regions or high schools, and sends push notifications for featured game starts. Enables bookmark management for missed games, highlights, and original videos, with push notifications upon video availability. Allows users to use SNS or other apps simultaneously while watching the live stream.