NPB Enterprise, Sony, and Sanrio Have Launched the World's First Alternative Broadcast Proof of Concept for Baseball, Titled “Let’s Play Baseball – Sanrio Characters and the Dreamy Game”
The broadcast which aims to broaden the professional baseball fanbase, is now available on the Sanrio Characters Official YouTube Channel until March 2026
NPB Enterprise, Inc. (NPBE), Sony Corporation (Sony), and Sanrio Co., Ltd. (Sanrio) launched a proof of concept project for the world's first baseball alternative broadcast today, titled “Let’s Play Baseball –Sanrio Characters and the Dreamy Game”. The broadcast aims to convey the excitement and appeal of baseball to a wider audience. Created by tracking the movements of players and the ball during actual games and recreating them within the context of an animated world, it is the first alternative broadcast for any sport in Japan※1 The project features the game between the Yomiuri Giants and the Hiroshima Toyo Carp that took place at Tokyo Dome on September 19, 2025, recreated in the world of Sanrio. The broadcast is now available on Sanrio Characters Official YouTube Channel until March 31, 2026. This joint initiative between the three companies aims to connect Sanrio's characters, which are beloved worldwide, with professional baseball, one of Japan’s most popular national pastimes, utilizing Sony's technology to deliver a new viewing experience to fans.
Sanrio Characters Official YouTube Channel: WATCH HERE.
*Availability of the content may vary depending on countries and regions.
NPBE and Sony are collaborating to create a new perspective on professional baseball through the utilisation of data. This initiative aims to deliver the excitement of baseball to a broader audience, including those who may not be familiar with the sport. In this content, viewers can enjoy a cute and friendly world featuring Sanrio characters such as Hello Kitty, Kuromi, and Bad Badtz-Maru, while participating in quizzes and searching for the hidden Yomiuri Giants mascot “Giabbit.” This allows viewers to engage naturally with the rules and exciting plays of baseball, creating a new viewing experience that people of all ages can enjoy together with family and friends.
The play data utilized in this initiative is obtained through the high-precision optical tracking system of Hawk-Eye Innovations, a Sony group company, and is managed using the “Data Management Platform (DMP)” ※2 jointly developed by the Nippon Professional Baseball Organization (NPB) and Sony. Additionally, by employing data enhancement and visualization technologies from Beyond Sports, another Sony group company, the data is transformed into 3D animations. This enables the expression of the unique player movements and ball trajectories in baseball, as well as camera angles that are difficult to achieve in regular broadcasts, delivering the appeal of baseball to new fan demographics through the unique visual expressions of alternative broadcasting.
Views can enjoy quizzes about baseball.
The Yomiuri Giants’ “Giabbit” als makes an appearance
[Hello-Kitty] I played a dreamy baseball game with Kuromi and Badtz-Maru! I’m so excited that everyone can watch how it all went. I hope this video makes you love baseball even more.
Daisuke Niwa, Executive Officer, Head of the Digital Business Division at NPB Enterprise, Inc. commented[AR1] :
“We will deliver new animated content that overlays actual player performance data from professional baseball games obtained through the Hawk-Eye system with the latest technology from Beyond Sports, providing a different experience from traditional broadcast footage. To create an environment where children can have their first experience with professional baseball and understand its appeal, we will utilize familiar character IPs in collaboration with Sanrio. Through unique CG visuals, easy-to-understand explanations by popular characters, and quizzes, we aim to spark interest in baseball, lower the barrier to watching professional baseball, and promote recognition of the sport, ultimately expanding the future fanbase for professional baseball.”
Fumiatsu Hirai, Senior Vice President at Sony Corporation shared:
“Sony's mission is to ‘Create the future of entertainment together with creators through the power of technology,’ and we aim to continue delivering Kando to people around the world. We are pleased to be able to deliver the first alternative broadcast in Japan, offering a new form of entertainment to a global audience. [MT2] [OA3] [AR4] [AO5] Going forward, we will further strengthen our collaboration with NPB and NPBE, and by utilizing Sony's technology to offer diverse ways to enjoy baseball through data, we will convey the appeal of professional baseball to even more people and contribute to its further popularity in Japan."
Sony Corporation - Sony x Nippon Professional Baseball
Kiyoshi Saito, Managing Director, Sanrio Company, Ltd. stated:
"Under the vision of ‘One World, Connecting Smiles’, Sanrio has been promoting collaborations across a wide range of fields, including sports. Through this initiative, Sanrio’s unique and friendly world has been combined with cutting-edge technology, enabling us to contribute to creating an entirely new baseball-viewing experience unlike anything seen before. By presenting baseball broadcasts featuring Sanrio characters, we aim to add new value to entertainment and co-create new forms of joy and excitement together with the next generation."