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World Baseball Classic 2023: Schedule, Format, Rosters, How to Watch and Stream From Anywhere

The WBC tournament starts March 7 and will feature some of the biggest names in baseball.

Spring training games have just begun, but many Major League baseball players will soon be taking a two-week break from practices and practice games in Arizona and Florida to play for their country in the World Baseball Classic

With a roster of 30 MLB players, Team USA enters the tournament as the defending champion. The Dominican Republic (winner in 2013) and Japan (two-time champ, in 2009 and 2006) loom as the biggest obstacles to an American repeat.

The tournament runs from March 7 to 21. Games will be shown on Fox, FS1, FS2 and Fox Deportes. In addition, three early-round games will be shown live on the Fox-owned Tubi streaming app. Here’s everything you need to know to watch the WBC, with or without cable.

Mookie Betts adjusts his Dodgers hatMookie Betts adjusts his Dodgers hat

Mookie Betts will trade Dodger blue for red, white and blue when he suits up for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic.

Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire/Getty Images

What is the schedule and format of the WBC?

Twenty teams will play in this year’s tournament, up from 16 teams in past years. There are four different pools of five teams each. The top two teams in each pool will advance to the quarterfinals, at which point it becomes an eight-team, single-elimination tournament.

  • Pool play: March 7 to 15
  • Quarterfinals: March 15 to 18
  • Semifinals: March 19 and 20
  • Championship: March 21

Where are the WBC games being played?

The tournament will be held in four locations, two in the US and two in Asia:

  • LoanDepot Park (home of the Miami Marlins) in Miami
  • Chase Field (home of the Arizona Diamondbacks) in Phoenix
  • Tokyo Dome in Tokyo
  • Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium in Taichung, Taiwan

Which countries are playing in the World Baseball Classic?

Here’s how the 20 teams are arranged in the four pools:

Pool A

  • Cuba
  • Netherlands
  • Italy
  • Chinese Taipei
  • Panama

Pool A will play its games in Taiwan.

Pool B

  • Japan
  • South Korea
  • Australia
  • China
  • Czech Republic

Pool B will play its games in Japan.

Pool C

  • United States
  • Mexico
  • Canada
  • Colombia
  • Great Britain

Pool C will play its games in Phoenix.

Pool D

  • Dominican Republic
  • Venezuela
  • Puerto Rico
  • Israel
  • Nicaragua

Pool D will play its games in Miami. 

Pool A and B quarterfinals will be played in Japan. Pool C and D quarterfinals will be played in Miami. The semifinals and championship game will be played in Miami.

Who are the biggest MLB stars playing in the WBC?

USA: Mike Trout, Mookie Betts, Trea Turner, Pete Alonso, Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado

Dominican Republic: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Manny Machado, Rafael Devers, Juan Soto, Wander Franco, Julio Rodríguez, Sandy Alcantara

Japan: Shohei Ohtani, Yu Darvish

Venezuela: Ronald Acuña Jr., Jose Altuve

Netherlands: Xander Bogaerts

Puerto Rico: Francisco Lindor

Canada: Freddie Freeman

You can see the full roster for each WBC team here.

When does Team USA play?

Here’s the schedule for the US team’s four games in Pool C:

  • Game 1 vs. Great Britain: March 11 at 6 p.m. PT  (9 p.m. ET) on Fox
  • Game 2 vs. Mexico: March 12 at 7 p.m. PT  (10 p.m. ET) on FS1
  • Game 3 vs. Canada: March 13 at 7 p.m. PT  (10 p.m. ET) on FS1
  • Game 4 vs. Colombia: March 15 at 7 p.m. PT  (10 p.m. ET) on FS1

The tournament starts at 11 p.m. ET (8 p.m. PT) on March 7 with the first game between Cuba and the Netherlands. You can see the full WBC schedule here.

How can I watch the World Baseball Classic?

You can watch the WBC on Fox, FS1, FS2 and Fox Deportes with a live TV streaming service, but keep in mind that not every service carries every local network, so check each one using the links below to make sure it carries Fox in your area. The key channel for the WBC is FS1, which will not only show three of Team USA’s first four games but will also show both semifinal games and the title game. 

Games can also be streamed live online through FoxSports.com or the Fox Sports app, but you’ll need to authenticate with a cable, streaming or satellite login. You don’t need an account to watch the three games on the free, ad-supported Tubi streaming service. 

Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

You can watch WBC games live at FoxSports.com or the Fox Sports app, but you need to authenticate with a cable, streaming or satellite login. Fox Sports has apps for iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Google TV and Xbox.

Sling/CNET

Sling’s $40-a-month Blue package includes Fox and FS1, but it carries Fox only in a handful of areas. It does not offer Fox Deportes. You can add FS2 for an extra $11 a month. Read our Sling TV review.

YouTube TV costs $65 a month and includes Fox, FS1 and FS2 but not Fox Deportes. Plug in your ZIP code on its welcome page to see which local networks are available in your area. Read our YouTube TV review.

Fubo TV

FuboTV’s basic plan costs $75 a month and includes Fox, FS1 and FS2. To watch Spanish-language broadcasts on Fox Deportes, you will need to spring for FuboTV’s $86-a-month plan. Click here to see which local channels you get. Read our FuboTV review.

Hulu

Hulu with Live TV costs $70 a month and includes Fox. Click the «View channels in your area» link on its welcome page to see which local channels are offered in your ZIP code. Read our Hulu with Live TV review.

Directv stream

DirecTV Stream’s basic, $75-a-month package includes Fox and FS1. You need to spend $110 to also get FS2. Fox Deportes is not offered. You can use its channel lookup tool to see which local channels are available where you live. Read our DirecTV Stream review.

Pavlo Gonchar/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Tubi is a free, ad-supported streaming service that shows movies and TV shows along with local news livestreams, live sports, weather and entertainment channels. Three early-round WBC games will be shown live on Tubi: Italy vs. Cuba on March 9, Czech Republic vs. China on March 9 and Italy vs. Chinese Taipei on March 10.

How to use a VPN to watch the WBC from anywhere

If you’re traveling outside your home country and want to watch the WBC, or just want an added layer of privacy for streaming, there is an option that doesn’t require searching the internet for a sketchy website: You can use a VPN, or virtual private network.

With a VPN, you’re able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to WBC broadcasts, which comes in handy if you find yourself unable to view the games locally. A VPN is the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds by encrypting your traffic. Using a VPN is also a great idea if you’re traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network, and you want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins.

If you can’t find a convenient opportunity to watch the WBC where you live, using a VPN with a US-based server should provide access to some or all of the streaming options listed below. Most VPNs, like our Editors’ Choice, ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this.

Using a VPN to watch or stream sports is legal in any country where VPNs are legal, as long as you’ve got a legitimate subscription to the service you’re streaming. You should be sure your VPN is set up correctly to prevent leaks: Even where VPNs are legal, the streaming service may terminate the account of anyone it deems to be circumventing correctly applied blackout restrictions. See our list of best VPNs for more and check out other great VPN deals taking place right now.

Sarah Tew/CNET

ExpressVPN is our current best VPN pick for people who want a reliable and safe VPN, and it works on a variety of devices. It’s normally $13 per month, and you can sign up for ExpressVPN and save 49% plus get three months of access for free — the equivalent of $6.67 per month — if you get an annual subscription. Note that ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Quick tips for streaming the WBC using a VPN

  • With four variables at play — your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN — experience and success may vary.
  • If you don’t see your desired location as a default option for ExpressVPN, try using the «search for city or country» option.
  • If you’re having trouble getting the game after you’ve turned on your VPN and set it to the correct viewing area, there are two things you can try for a quick fix. First, log into your streaming service subscription account and make sure the address registered for the account is an address in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs — like Roku — don’t have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you’ll have to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you’re using (like your phone) so that any device on its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location.
  • All of the VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main site for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after you install a cable network’s sports app, you’ll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to your email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router will also help, since both devices will appear to be in the correct location. 
  • And remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you’re using a privacy-first browser to log into your services. We normally recommend Brave.

Technologies

Repair Your Electronics at Home With This Rare Black Friday Discount on the iFixit Pro Tech Go Toolkit

This toolkit rarely goes on sale, so take advantage of this opportunity to snag it for only $40.

While Black Friday is an excellent time to replace old smartphones or broken laptops at a discount, not everyone is looking to splurge on new tech right now. If you’re shopping on a budget, or simply like the devices that you have and aren’t ready for an upgrade, investing in an electronics repair kit may be a wise option. We’ve spotted a discount on the iFixit Pro Tech Go tech toolkit, bringing its price down to just $40. But don’t delay, Black Friday is in its final hours and this kit rarely goes on sale.

The iFixit Pro Tech Go kit can be used to open up and repair a wide range of electronics, including smartphones, laptops, gaming consoles, and smart home devices for DIY repairs like battery or screen replacements. The kit has a 32-bit Moray driver kit, an opening tool, a suction handle, a jimmy, a spudger and angled tweezer to carefully open your devices.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.


Repairing your own tech can save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars. It also reduces e-waste by helping your devices last longer rather than throwing them away over minor issue. As of this year, all 50 states have introduced right-to-repair legislation designed to give people a legal right to fix their own tech, and several states have already signed it into law.

You can check out more deals from iFixIt now on Amazon. Plus, for other budget buys, check out our roundup of the best Black Friday deals under $100.

Why this deal matters

This is a record low price on a repair kit that rarely goes on sale. While we did see a modest discount on the iFixit Pro Tech Go toolkit during Amazon Prime Day in July, it was not marked down for October Prime Day or other sales such as Memorial Day or Labor Day. As such, it’s fairly unlikely that we’ll see it go on sale again this season, so this might be your last chance to get the toolkit for only $40.

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Don’t Say Goodbye to Black Friday Yet. These Rare Apple Discounts Are Still Going Strong

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Technologies

What a Ban Would Actually Mean for DJI Drone Owners and Holiday Shoppers

What’s the secret to a very un-merry shopping season? A brand new, unusable drone.

With Thanksgiving wrapped up and the Black Friday shopping sales here, if a DJI drone is on your holiday wish list, you might want to hit «buy» immediately. The company has issued a stark warning: Its drones could be banned from sale in the US, and the deadline is looming. 

The Federal Communications Commission voted 3-0 at the end of October to «close loopholes» that allow tech deemed a «national security risk» to be sold in the US. In plain English, the US government is clearing the path to give DJI the same treatment it gave Chinese phone-maker Huawei, effectively banning its products from the American market.

The US government has deemed DJI, which is based in China, a security risk. It’s also considering a separate ban on TP-Link routers.

DJI is already sounding the alarm, posting on Instagram that a «deadline that could decide DJI’s fate in the US is just 43 days away» (now 19 days away). The company is warning that without an audit, its products could face an «automatic ban.» The US government has long labeled the Chinese drone maker a security risk, and it looks like the hammer might finally be coming down right before the holidays.


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The vote isn’t the end of the road, however. Future bans would need to target specific products and would require a period of public consultation. But it appears the groundwork is being set for the FCC to block sales of future and some existing DJI drones from US shores, as well as products that use DJI technology.

The government has called for a DJI audit by the end of the year, but if that doesn’t happen, DJI drone products could be banned for sale by default under a national security law.

DJI asks for a security audit before any ban

A representative for DJI told CNET that while the FCC vote references a rule change that doesn’t currently apply to DJI specifically, the National Defense Authorization Act deadline in December would put Chinese companies like it on the FCC’s ban list, «without any evidence of wrongdoing or the right to appeal.»

Adam Welsh, head of global policy at DJI, said the company has repeatedly said it would be open to audit, but that «more than 10 months have now passed with no sign that the process has begun.» 

«The US government has every right to strengthen national security measures, but this must go hand in hand with due process, fairness, and transparency,» Welsh said.

Welsh said DJI is urging the government to start the audit process or grant an extension.

Will DJI drone owners need to give them up?

Because the ban would apply to new sales, not drones that have already been sold, a DJI drone you already own would still be legal to use — at least under current rules. 

Government agencies, however, are prohibited from purchasing or using drones from Chinese companies, including DJI.

DJI’s drones consistently rank high in their product category. In January, they dominated CNET’s list of best drones for 2025. But some of the company’s newest products, such as the DJI Mavic 4 Pro, haven’t been available for sale in the United States.

Even DJI products that are not yet banned may be hard to find. The website UAV Coach has posted a guide to the bans and reports that, due to inventory issues, most DJI drone models are sold out at retailers regardless of future FCC action. 

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