Key facts
- Tech companies are prominent owners in Asian professional baseball leagues.
- Automated ball-strike systems are being adopted in MLB, KBO, and considered in CPBL.
- Chinese tech firms are seeking new markets in Japan due to domestic economic stagnation.
- Japan plans to certify data center and cloud service security, potentially excluding Chinese products.
- China's tech giants are building data centers in rural areas for AI development.
Professional baseball leagues across Asia are entering their climactic stages, with several featuring tech companies as either owners or key sponsors. In Japan, the SoftBank Group and DeNA will face off in the Japan Series, a rematch of the 2024 championship. South Korea's Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) sees Kia, Samsung, and KT competing, while Taiwan's Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) is nearing its conclusion with the Wei Chuan Dragons close to a title. The World Series in North America begins Friday between the Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays. Beyond team ownership, technology is transforming the game itself, with automated ball-strike systems being adopted or considered in MLB, KBO, CPBL, and NPB. Chinese tech companies are also seeking new markets in Japan amid domestic economic challenges, though facing scrutiny and potential exclusion from data security certifications. Meanwhile, China's push for AI dominance is driving significant investment in rural data centers, raising concerns about pollution and local economic benefits.