Sportsnavi
Sportsnavi Inc. is a Japan-focused, wholly-owned LY Corporation subsidiary that operates a free, multi-platform digital sports media service — web, mobile apps, and YouTube — delivering live streaming, real-time scores, follow notifications, and detailed statistics across Japanese professional and amateur sports leagues.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2002
- HeadquartersTokyo, Japan
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Sportsnavi does
Sportsnavi Inc. (スポーツナビ株式会社) is a Japan-based, wholly-owned subsidiary of LINE Yahoo Corporation (LY Corporation) that operates one of Japan's largest dedicated digital sports media platforms. Founded on August 8, 2002 and headquartered at Tokyo Garden Terrace Kioicho in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, the company employs approximately 94 people and distributes free sports content across web (sports.yahoo.co.jp), native iOS/Android apps (Sportsnavi App and the dedicated SpoNavi Baseball Live App, which has reached 15M cumulative downloads), YouTube channels for baseball and golf (each exceeding 300,000 subscribers), and a virtual high school baseball service co-developed with Asahi Shimbun and ABC Television. The platform covers professional Japanese sports leagues (NPB, J.League, B.League, JD.League, SV.League), international play (MLB), and an unusually broad amateur and youth sports slate including 16 university baseball leagues, curling, judo, table tennis, boxing, golf, and horse racing. Its technical differentiators include a synchronized Player/Team Follow Function across Yahoo! JAPAN and Sportsnavi identities, pitch-by-pitch curling text updates, and detailed pitch-type and zone-specific batting statistics delivered in real time.
The business model is freemium-to-end-users — every consumer-facing service is free with no paid tiers, subscriptions, or in-app purchases identified — and revenue is generated through advertising and content licensing/partnerships with sports federations and leagues. The company operates strictly within Japan and leverages its parent's LY Corporation ecosystem (Yahoo! JAPAN ID authentication, Yahoo Net login, cross-promotion, and outsourced customer support), which materially reduces standalone operating cost and provides distribution scale that standalone competitors cannot match. Recent product cadence through 2026 (full NPB player follow, soccer national team follow, curling team follow, MLB Spring Training coverage, manga content on the app) and the first international move — sponsoring the T.League 2026-2027 Taiwan opening match with Japan-Taiwan original content and on-the-ground fan acquisition — indicate ongoing incremental expansion under corporate-parent stewardship rather than venture-funded scale-up.
Sportsnavi firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sportsnavi
- Legal name
- スポーツナビ株式会社
- Website
- https://sportsnavi.co.jp
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2002
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Sportsnavi Inc. is a Japan-focused, wholly-owned LY Corporation subsidiary that operates a free, multi-platform digital sports media service — web, mobile apps, and YouTube — delivering live streaming, real-time scores, follow notifications, and detailed statistics across Japanese professional and amateur sports leagues.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sportsnavi industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sports Media and Live Streaming
- NAICS
- Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210)
- SIC
- Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sports Streaming Distribution & App Platforms (CTV, Mobile, Web) (MPAKAOAL)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Sports Highlights, Clips & VOD Libraries (MPAKAOAF)
Keywords
Where Sportsnavi is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tokyo
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
Sportsnavi business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel
Revenue model
- Advertising & Media Revenue: As a free digital sports platform with large user bases across web, mobile apps, and YouTube, Sportsnavi generates revenue primarily through advertising (display ads, video ads, sponsor integrations within live streams and content). The platform is wholly owned by LINE Yahoo and operates as part of the Yahoo! Japan media ecosystem.
- Content Licensing & Partnerships: Sportsnavi partners with sports federations, leagues, and associations to distribute their content. Partnerships with J.League, B.League, JD.League, SV.League, Japan Badminton Association, Japan Curling Association, and Japan Sports Analysts Association provide content distribution rights and co-marketing opportunities that support the platform's content library and live streaming offerings.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free — all services |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Sportsnavi product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sportsnavi operates Japan's largest free sports information and live streaming platform across web (sports.yahoo.co.jp), native iOS/Android apps, and YouTube channels. It delivers real-time scores, text commentary, detailed statistics, and free live streaming for professional and amateur Japanese sports leagues including NPB, MLB, J.League, B.League, SV League, JD.League, high school and university baseball, curling, judo, badminton, table tennis, boxing, golf, and horse racing. The platform also provides push-notification follow functions for individual players and teams, with full integration into the LINE Yahoo authentication and distribution ecosystem.
Product overview
Sportsnavi operates a multi-platform sports media portfolio comprising Sportsnavi Web (comprehensive sports information site), Sportsnavi App (free mobile app), Sportsnavi Baseball Live App (dedicated baseball score app with 15M+ downloads), and Virtual High School Baseball (high school baseball streaming via partnership with Asahi Shimbun and ABC Television). The company also maintains YouTube channels for baseball and golf content, and provides live streaming services across sports including basketball (B.LEAGUE), badminton, curling, athletics, horse racing, judo, table tennis, and golf. The Sportsnavi platform integrates with LINE Yahoo's ecosystem and covers professional leagues (NPB, MLB, J.League, B.LEAGUE), amateur competitions (high school, university), and international events.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- スポーツナビ Web: 日本最大級のスポーツ専用情報サイト。豊富なコンテンツをいつでもどこでも楽しめる。試合日程・結果、各種目のニュースやコラム、動画、イベントや大会の特集ページなどを提供。
- スポーツナビ アプリ
- スポナビ野球速報アプリ
- バーチャル高校野球
- YouTube スポーツナビ 野球チャンネル
- YouTube スポナビ Golf
Products and services
- Sportsnavi Web (スポーツナビ) Japan's largest sports-dedicated information website providing real-time sports news, match results, athlete information, schedules, standings, video content, live streams, and event coverage across professional and amateur Japanese sports leagues.
- Sportsnavi App (スポーツナビアプリ) Free mobile application providing curated match highlights, news, columns, videos, live streams, schedules, results, standings, and performance statistics with push notification support for followed players and teams.
- SpoNavi Baseball Live App (スポナビ野球速報アプリ) Free baseball-focused mobile app offering ultra-fast score updates, detailed game statistics including pitch types and batting zones, MLB coverage, high school baseball, university baseball, and player follow notifications across NPB and amateur baseball.
- Virtual High School Baseball (バーチャル高校野球) Joint service with The Asahi Shimbun and ABC Television offering free live streaming and exclusive content for high school baseball tournaments and competitions across Japan.
- Sportsnavi Baseball YouTube Channel (スポーツナビ 野球チャンネル) Official YouTube channel featuring baseball-related videos including live streams, player interviews, team discussions, expert commentary, game highlights, and instructional videos.
- SpoNavi Golf YouTube Channel (スポナビ Golf) Comprehensive golf-focused YouTube channel providing gear reviews, professional player tutorials, instructional content, tournament coverage, and detailed explanations of professional golfer techniques.
Quantifiable outcome
- 15 million cumulative app downloads for SpoNavi Baseball App
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Sportsnavi
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Sportsnavi technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Sportsnavi partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- J.LEAGUE (公益社団法人 日本プロサッカーリーグ)coreSportsnavi partners with J.League as part of LINE Yahoo's sponsorship arrangement. Sportsnavi provides free live streaming and coverage of J.League matches, including the J.League All-Star DAZN Cup events and fan voting programs. J.League is one of Japan's premier professional sports properties.
- B.LEAGUE (公益社団法人 ジャパン・プロフェッショナル・バスケットボール联赛)coreSportsnavi partners with B.League under LINE Yahoo's sponsorship. The platform provides live coverage of B.League events including the B.League Championship, award shows, and draft broadcasts, along with dedicated editorial content such as power rankings and championship predictions.
- JD.LEAGUE (JD联赛)coreSportsnavi partners with JD.League as part of LINE Yahoo's sponsorship program, providing coverage of Japan's professional baseball development league.
- SV League (SV联赛)coreSportsnavi partners with the SV League as part of LINE Yahoo's sponsorship program, covering Japan's professional volleyball league.
- 公益財団法人日本バドミントン協会 (Japan Badminton Association)coreSportsnavi partners with the Japan Badminton Association as part of LINE Yahoo's sponsorship arrangement, covering the National Team Championships and other badminton events.
- 公益社団法人日本カーリング協会 (Japan Curling Association)coreSportsnavi partners with the Japan Curling Association, providing live coverage, one-shot updates, and team follow features for the Japan Curling Championships and other national curling events.
- LINE雅虎株式会社 (LINE Yahoo Corporation)flagshipLINE Yahoo Corporation is the parent company (100% shareholder) of Sportsnavi. Sportsnavi provides sports content aligned with the Sportsnavi brand to support the LINE Yahoo platform. Sportsnavi leverages Yahoo! Japan ID for authentication and integrates with Yahoo Net for user login and discovery. LINE Yahoo handles customer support operations for Sportsnavi.
- 公益財団法人全日本柔道連盟 (All Japan Judo Federation)coreSportsnavi provides free live streaming coverage of the All Japan Judo Championships (男子・女子), including the Empress's Cup Women's Championship and the All Japan Men's Championship, held at the Japan Budokan and Yokohama Budokan.
- データスタジアム社 (Data Stadium)coreData Stadium provides rich game data for Sportsnavi's university baseball coverage, supporting enhanced game experience for the 16 university baseball leagues covered on the platform.
- 株式会社CBCテレビ / 株式会社中日新聞社 (CBC TV / Chunichi Shimbun)minorSportsnavi live streams the Chunichi Crowns (中日クラウンズ), one of Japan's oldest golf tournaments, organized by CBC Television and Chunichi Shimbun.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Sportsnavi competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- ESPN: ESPN is the world's largest sports media brand, offering news, scores, streaming, and editorial coverage across virtually every sport. It is a broad incumbent comparable to Sportsnavi in multi-sport digital coverage and live scores, though its scale, pay-TV roots, and US-centric focus differ materially.
- U-NEXT: U-NEXT is a major Japanese OTT streaming service with a growing sports vertical, including live sports, documentaries and original programming. It competes for Japanese sports viewing share and rights investment while operating a broader entertainment subscription model versus Sportsnavi's free, sports-focused product.
- J SPORTS: J SPORTS is one of Japan's leading sports pay-TV broadcasters, offering live coverage of MLB, J.League, B.League, golf, tennis and more. It overlaps with Sportsnavi's content categories and audience, but delivers primarily via traditional pay-TV/streaming subscriptions rather than a free, app-centric model.
Regional players
- Nikkan Sports: Nikkan Sports is a major Japanese sports newspaper with a substantial digital presence providing news, scores, columns, and live coverage of NPB, J.League, B.League, sumo, and more. It directly competes with Sportsnavi in Japanese-language sports digital media but anchors on newspaper heritage rather than app/streaming-first delivery.
Direct peers
- Number Web (Number): Number Web is the digital arm of the Japanese sports magazine Number, providing sports news, columns, interviews, and live updates focused on Japanese professional sports. It directly competes with Sportsnavi for Japanese sports-fan attention, with a stronger editorial/magazine heritage and web-first delivery.
- DAZN: DAZN is a global sports streaming service with significant presence in Japan, offering live and on-demand coverage of J.League, B.League, MLB, soccer and other sports. It directly competes with Sportsnavi for Japanese sports fans and live-streaming rights, though DAZN is subscription-based while Sportsnavi is free.
- BaseballKing: BaseballKing is a Japanese baseball-focused digital platform offering real-time scores, statistics, news, and editorial content for NPB, MLB, and amateur baseball. It is a direct competitor in the baseball vertical where Sportsnavi's SpoNavi Baseball app has 15M+ cumulative downloads.
Emerging players
- Bleacher Report: Bleacher Report is a US-focused digital sports media platform delivering news, highlights, live scores, and short-form video across multiple sports. It overlaps with Sportsnavi's digital-sports-content and highlight-reel model, though Bleacher Report is youth-leaning, short-form, and global rather than Japan-specific.
- The Athletic: The Athletic is a subscription-based digital sports media company providing deep editorial coverage across global sports leagues. It competes in digital sports content but takes a paid, long-form editorial approach in contrast to Sportsnavi's free, real-time scores and streaming model.
- Goal.com: Goal.com is a global digital soccer media platform offering news, live scores, statistics, and transfer coverage across major leagues including J.League. It overlaps with Sportsnavi's soccer and live-data capabilities but operates globally and is soccer-specialized rather than multi-sport.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses3 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Sportsnavi social profiles
Digital presenceSportsnavi financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sportsnavi leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Sportsnavi funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sportsnavi M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sportsnavi
What does Sportsnavi do?
Sportsnavi operates Japan's largest free sports information and live streaming platform across web (sports.yahoo.co.jp), native iOS/Android apps, and YouTube channels. It delivers real-time scores, text commentary, detailed statistics, and free live streaming for professional and amateur Japanese sports leagues including NPB, MLB, J.League, B.League, SV League, JD.League, high school and university baseball, curling, judo, badminton, table tennis, boxing, golf, and horse racing. The platform also provides push-notification follow functions for individual players and teams, with full integration into the LINE Yahoo authentication and distribution ecosystem.
Is Sportsnavi a public or private company?
Sportsnavi is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Sportsnavi founded?
Sportsnavi was founded in 2002. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Sportsnavi based?
Sportsnavi is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does Sportsnavi make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Advertising & Media Revenue is the primary driver. The others are content Licensing & Partnerships.
Who are Sportsnavi's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are ESPN, U-NEXT and J SPORTS. Nikkan Sports is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are Number Web (Number), DAZN and BaseballKing. Emerging players are Bleacher Report, The Athletic and Goal.com.
Does Sportsnavi have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sportsnavi.
What industry is Sportsnavi in?
Sportsnavi's product category is Sports Media and Live Streaming. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAKAOAL, Sports Streaming Distribution & App Platforms (CTV, Mobile, Web), with a secondary code of MPAKAOAF, Sports Highlights, Clips & VOD Libraries. Its NAICS code is 516210 and its SIC code is 7990.