Asia Society 15d ago

LOS ANGELES, January 19, 2026 — ESPN SVP of Programming and Acquisitions Ilan Ben-Hanan, Fanatics Asia EVP and Managing Director Masanori Kawana, and A&V Sports Group Partner Takumi Jeannin discuss how Japanese athletes and fan culture are reshaping the global sports industry. Amy Siegel, partner and co-head of Entertainment, Sports, and Media at O'Melveny & Myers, moderates. (48 min., 24 sec.) Part of Asia Society Southern California’s U.S.–Japan Initiative Program III, the conversation explores global sports fandom, Japanese fan engagement, and how leagues and broadcasters are adapting to these differences. Ben-Hanan discusses Shohei Ohtani’s impact on storytelling across ESPN platforms, Kawana reflects on building Fanatics’ Asia business and why fandom remains local even as sports globalize, and Jeannin examines Japanese player placement in international clubs and the growing importance of image rights in contracts. Subscribe for more videos like this: http://AsiaSociety.org/YouTube --- Support Asia Society today: http://AsiaSociety.org/Donate --- Subscribe to our newsletter to stay connected: https://asiasociety.org/email-subscriptions --- Facebook: http://facebook.com/AsiaSociety Instagram: http://instagram.com/AsiaSociety Twitter: http://twitter.com/AsiaSociety LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/company/asia-society/ #asiasociety #asiasocietysoutherncalifornia #sports #usjapanrelations