Japan’s U-Next revamps expanding live sports line-up

Japanese streamer U-Next has revamped its sports services to give it more visibility as it expands its offering.

The streamer has split its sports content line-up into four distinct discipline-based elements, with sections for football, martial arts, golf and baseball and other sports.

U-Next said it would highlight sports by making each discipline an independent feature of the service alongside movies, drama, animation and other genres.

U-Next first launched live streaming of sports with the Legend charity boxing event in 2021 and has since increased its content line-up with a focus on martial arts and golf.

Its football offering last week received a boost when it secured rights to stream Spain’s LaLiga for the next five seasons.

In addition to live streaming of all 380 matches of the Spanish soccer league, which will start on August 12, in full HD (1080p), U-Next subscribers can watch six playoff games and special programmes including El Classico specials.

U-Next will also air the Spanish Copa del Rey and the Supercopa de España.

It also holds rights to the English Premier League, where it will stream 380 matches, Serie A (also 380 matches), the English FA Cup and the Scottish Premiership.

In the key disciplines of golf and baseball, it offers the JLPGA Tour, the PGA Tour and the Masters alongside the MLB. It also streams the Volleyball Nations League.

The streamer’s mixed martial arts offering encompasses UFC, Bellator MMA, Rizin Deep 2001 and Pancrase, and it offers a broad range  of boxing and kickboxing content.

U-Next has said it plans to expand its sports offering further.