Communicating the Charm of 'Virtual High School Baseball' Through School Songs!

Asahi Shimbun and Asahi Broadcasting Television Corporation (ABC TV) have launched promotional videos for Virtual High School Baseball for the summer of 2026 and released key visuals. Virtual High School Baseball, which streams all matches of the 108th National High School Baseball Championship live for free, will continue to introduce services such as match summaries and news along with video content.

'Virtual High School Baseball Song'

Following 2025, the 'Virtual High School Baseball Song,' themed after the post-match school song singing by winning teams, is being featured again this year. The video uses the same font for subtitles as the live coverage by ABC TV, the host broadcaster for the national tournament (Summer Koshien).

Starting with a stadium announcement, players proudly sing about 'free live streaming of all matches, from regional summer tournaments to Koshien.' The music and lyrics are original to Virtual High School Baseball. (Note: The performers are not actual high school players.)

Simultaneous release of two versions: 'Fans use it' and 'Data-packed'

To suggest various ways to enjoy the information-rich Virtual High School Baseball service, two versions of the promotional video were created. The 'Fans use it' version highlights features like 'quick highlights' for users who prioritize time-performance, while the 'Data-packed' version features 'core fans' tracking their favorite teams' progress in detail. Each version comes in 15-second and 30-second lengths, totaling four patterns distributed simultaneously.

Videos distributed on SNS, with plans for terrestrial TV and radio expansion.

The 'Virtual High School Baseball Song' is currently distributed on social media platforms such as X, Instagram, and TikTok. Future plans include terrestrial television broadcasts and audio versions on radio and radiko services, such as 'Audio High School Baseball,' featuring comments from announcer Yusuke Oagata, known for his iconic play-by-play commentary.

Key visuals linked to the song

Flyers, posters, and fans linked to the song have been produced for this summer and will be distributed at ballparks during regional tournaments and at Hanshin Koshien Stadium in August.

About Virtual High School Baseball

Launched in 2015 by Asahi Shimbun and Asahi Broadcasting Corporation (now ABC TV) as a service to enjoy high school baseball anytime, anywhere through videos and news. It provides live streaming for the National Championship and various other tournaments. In 2025, it streamed all regional and national matches of the 107th National Championship for free, along with other tournaments, and provides real-time text-based score updates.