β‘ When to Watch NPB from the US
Most NPB games start at 6:00 PM JST on weekdays, 2:00 PM JST on weekends and holidays. Japan is UTC+9. That's -14 hours from ET. In practical terms, every weekday game is a 4:00 AM ET wake-up call. Weekend day games? 12:00 AMβ1:00 AM ET β still late, but workable. Golden Week (May 3β5) is the best viewing window of the season.
4:00 AM ET
Weekday 18:00 JST
12:00 AM ET
Weekend 14:00 JST
1:00 AM PT
Weekday West Coast
May 3β5
Golden Week peak
May 26βJun 14
Interleague window
π The Interleague Hack β How to Watch Giants & Tigers in the US
Central League games (Yomiuri Giants, Hanshin Tigers, Hiroshima Carp, Yakult Swallows, DeNA BayStars, Chunichi Dragons) are mostly geoblocked outside Japan. But during the May 26 β June 14 interleague window, when a Central League team is the road team at a Pacific League park, those games ARE carried on Pacific League TV. That's your window. The best matchup to target: Giants vs. SoftBank Hawks at PayPay Dome β the two biggest brands in each league, on PLTV, streamable anywhere.
01
Where to Watch NPB
US availability varies by league
02
2026 Season Key Dates
Mar 27
Opening Day
All 12 teams begin the 143-game regular season.
Apr 14β16
Traditional Series
Hanshin Tigers vs. Yomiuri Giants β Japan's biggest rivalry.
May 3β5
Golden Week
Peak holiday attendance Β· day games Β· best US viewing window.
May 26 β Jun 14
Interleague Play
CL teams visit PL parks. CL road games streamable via PLTV.
Jul 20β23
Mazda All-Star Series
Two-game All-Star Series Β· short schedule break.
August
Koshien Displacement
Hanshin Tigers play nearly all road games β Koshien hosts the high school tournament.
Late Sep
Regular Season Ends
Pennant races close. Climax Series (playoffs) begin.
Late Oct
Japan Series
Best-of-7 championship between CL and PL champions.
03
The 12 Teams
Pacific + Central League
Pacific League Β· 6 Teams Β· On PLTV
Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks β Mizuho PayPay Dome Β· Fukuoka
Orix Buffaloes β Kyocera Dome Β· Osaka
Chiba Lotte Marines β ZOZO Marine Stadium Β· Chiba
Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles β Rakuten Mobile Park Β· Sendai
Saitama Seibu Lions β Belluna Dome Β· Tokorozawa
Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters β ES CON Field Β· Sapporo
Central League Β· 6 Teams Β· Mostly Geoblocked
Yomiuri Giants β Tokyo Dome Β· Tokyo Β· 22 titles
Hanshin Tigers β Koshien Stadium Β· Nishinomiya
Tokyo Yakult Swallows β Meiji Jingu Stadium Β· Tokyo
Yokohama DeNA BayStars β Yokohama Stadium Β· Yokohama
Chunichi Dragons β Vantelin Dome Β· Nagoya
Hiroshima Toyo Carp β Mazda Zoom-Zoom Stadium Β· Hiroshima
The Fact
NPB Games Can End in a Tie β And Often Do
Unlike MLB, which eliminated ties decades ago and now uses the ghost runner in extras, NPB games can officially end in a tie after 12 innings. No zombie runner. No eternal extras. If it's tied after 12, it's a tie β and it counts in the standings. During the 2026 regular season, expect multiple series to feature ties that shift the pennant race. Combined with the Climax Series playoff format where the second-place team has to win a best-of-three just to reach the Japan Series, NPB's approach to "close games" is fundamentally different. It's baseball with more patience and less panic.
β‘ NPB This Week
See every Pacific League game this week β times in NYC/ET, streaming links verified β in the Official Viewer's Guide.
Open This Week's Guide β