Victory in the Koshien Opener! TV Osaka's April 7th Broadcast of 'Hanshin Tigers vs. Tokyo Yakult Swallows' Tops Viewership Ratings Among Osaka-Based Broadcasters!
TV Osaka's broadcast of the Hanshin Tigers vs. Tokyo Yakult Swallows Koshien opener on April 7th achieved top viewership ratings among Osaka-based stations. The game saw the Hanshin Tigers win 9-3, and marked the return of the jet balloons after seven years, making it a special night for fans.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 9, 2026 at 00:10
- 🔍 Collected: April 8, 2026 at 15:30
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 21, 2026 at 02:53 (299h 23m after Collected)
The opening game 'Nama Tora Stadium' broadcast on TV Osaka on April 7th (Tuesday), held at Hanshin Koshien Stadium, recorded top viewership ratings among Osaka-based broadcasters. The instantaneous peak viewership was 8.2% during the sub-channel broadcast (※Combined with multi-channel broadcasting and 'Kaigun! Nandemo Kantoku-dan' / viewership ratings surveyed in the Kansai region by Video Research). This peak was recorded at 8:59 PM when starter Saiki pitched well through 8 innings and was replaced by Yuasa in the final inning, and at 9:01 PM when Yuasa struck out Tanaka, the leadoff batter in the 9th inning (tied with 8.2%).
The second part of the program (7:00 PM - 8:54 PM JST) garnered a top rating of 6.9% among Osaka-based broadcasters. The top individual viewership within the second part was 8.1% at the moment Sato Teruaki hit a 2-point timely hit to center field during the Tigers' offense in the 6th inning.
On April 7th (Tuesday), the game between the Tokyo Yakult Swallows and the Hanshin Tigers at Hanshin Koshien Stadium turned into a tense pitcher's duel from the early innings. The tie was broken by the Swallows; in the top of the 4th inning, they capitalized on a Tigers error to create a scoring opportunity and take the lead with an RBI hit by Osuna. However, in the bottom of the same inning, the Tigers immediately counterattacked! A Yakult error on Khinami's ground ball to second base allowed a runner to score, tying the game. In the bottom of the 5th inning, another error by the opponent expanded the chance, and Morishita hit a 2-run home run, followed by Khinami's timely infield hit to add more runs, making the score 5-1. In the bottom of the 6th inning, Sato's timely hit made it 7-1, giving the Tigers control of the game. In the top of the 7th inning, the Swallows fought back with Maruyama Kazu's 2-run home run, but in the bottom of the 8th inning, Sato hit his first home run of the season, a 2-run shot, to pull away again. Ultimately, the Tigers won the game 9-3, with cheers echoing through Koshien.
This day also marked the return of the jet balloons for the first time in seven years since 2019!
The commentators enjoying the jet balloons also became a topic of discussion.
☆Comment from game staff
☆Commentary… Kato Tetsuhiro (TV Osaka Announcer)
Broadcasting Hanshin games at Koshien has been my origin for aspiring to be an announcer, and I approach each broadcast with special feelings. This time, not only was it the Koshien opener but also a game where the jet balloons returned after seven years, so I was internally very excited. While suppressing those feelings, I focused on drawing out the words of legendary commentators Okada and Toritani to deliver to our viewers.
Both Mr. Okada and Mr. Toritani also participated in flying the balloons, which was a first-time experience for them. I am truly honored to have been able to announce such a special moment.
Keywords: Baseball, Pro Baseball, Hanshin Tigers, Tokyo Yakult Swallows, Toraho-, Sato Teruaki
The second part of the program (7:00 PM - 8:54 PM JST) garnered a top rating of 6.9% among Osaka-based broadcasters. The top individual viewership within the second part was 8.1% at the moment Sato Teruaki hit a 2-point timely hit to center field during the Tigers' offense in the 6th inning.
On April 7th (Tuesday), the game between the Tokyo Yakult Swallows and the Hanshin Tigers at Hanshin Koshien Stadium turned into a tense pitcher's duel from the early innings. The tie was broken by the Swallows; in the top of the 4th inning, they capitalized on a Tigers error to create a scoring opportunity and take the lead with an RBI hit by Osuna. However, in the bottom of the same inning, the Tigers immediately counterattacked! A Yakult error on Khinami's ground ball to second base allowed a runner to score, tying the game. In the bottom of the 5th inning, another error by the opponent expanded the chance, and Morishita hit a 2-run home run, followed by Khinami's timely infield hit to add more runs, making the score 5-1. In the bottom of the 6th inning, Sato's timely hit made it 7-1, giving the Tigers control of the game. In the top of the 7th inning, the Swallows fought back with Maruyama Kazu's 2-run home run, but in the bottom of the 8th inning, Sato hit his first home run of the season, a 2-run shot, to pull away again. Ultimately, the Tigers won the game 9-3, with cheers echoing through Koshien.
This day also marked the return of the jet balloons for the first time in seven years since 2019!
The commentators enjoying the jet balloons also became a topic of discussion.
☆Comment from game staff
☆Commentary… Kato Tetsuhiro (TV Osaka Announcer)
Broadcasting Hanshin games at Koshien has been my origin for aspiring to be an announcer, and I approach each broadcast with special feelings. This time, not only was it the Koshien opener but also a game where the jet balloons returned after seven years, so I was internally very excited. While suppressing those feelings, I focused on drawing out the words of legendary commentators Okada and Toritani to deliver to our viewers.
Both Mr. Okada and Mr. Toritani also participated in flying the balloons, which was a first-time experience for them. I am truly honored to have been able to announce such a special moment.
Keywords: Baseball, Pro Baseball, Hanshin Tigers, Tokyo Yakult Swallows, Toraho-, Sato Teruaki