The 2025 Volleyball Nations League (VNL) women's tournament will kick off on Wednesday, June 4th, and the men's tournament will kick off on Wednesday, June 11th! As expectations for the Japanese national team's performance grow again this year, many people may be wondering, "Where can I watch it?"
In this article, we will provide an overview of VNL2025 and a thorough comparison of the two major streaming services that are attracting attention as ways to watch the game online, "U-NEXT" and "Volleyball TV," and introduce which one is recommended for which type of people.
*6/14 Update: We have received several inquiries from people who have signed up for "Volleyball TV," such as "I signed up for a one-month plan, but it was changed to a one-year plan without my permission and I was charged for the whole year." I personally have been able to use it without any problems, but please sign up at your own risk.
▶ Get a free 31-day trial of U-NEXT here!
Japan national volleyball team members
Women's national team
The following 30 members are registered for VNL2025.
Setter (5)
Koyomi Iwasaki, Nanami Seki, Tamaki Matsui, Hitomi Shiode, and Tsukasa Nakagawa
Outside hitter (11)
Mayu Ishikawa, Miwako Nagauchi, Ai Kurogo, Yukiko Wada, Fuyumi Okumu Howie, Rui Nonaka, Yoshino Sato, Megumi Fukasawa, Ayane Kitamado, Misora Akimoto, and Shinkai Kawamata
Middle blocker (8)
Ayaka Araki, Haruyo Shimamura, Nichika Yamada, Airi Miyabe, Asuka Hamamatsu, Maki Yamaguchi, Hiroyo Yamanaka, Nanami Asano
Libero (6)
Kojima Manami, Fukudome Satomi, Iwasawa Miku, Nishimura Yanami, Kawabata Haruna, Nishizaki Mana
For more information on each player's profile, please click here
Men's national team
The following 30 members are registered for VNL2025.
Setters (5 people)
Hideomi Fukatsu, Maki Oya, Motoki Nagatsuyu, Ryo Shimokawa, and Yuki Imahashi
Outside hitters (9 players)
Tatsunori Otsuka, Yudai Arai, Masama Tomita, Ai Takahashi, Yuki Ishikawa, Yuto Kai, Akito Yamazaki, Rikuto Goto, and Daiki Yamada
Middle blockers (8 players)
Futoshi Onodera, Akihiro Yamauchi, Go Murayama, Keigo Nishimoto, Everett Larry, Taisho Miwa, Kaoru Nishikawa, and Shunichiro Sato
Opposite (4 people)
Yuji Nishida, Taketo Miyaura, Hiroto Nishiyama, and Yoshiho Takahashi
Libero (4 players)
Tomohiro Ogawa, Tomohiro Yamamoto, Soji Fujinaka, Keishiro Takagi
For more information on each player's profile, please click here
VNL2025 Japan National Team Match Schedule
*Times are in Japan time (UTC +9).
*The match start time and match card may be subject to change. Please check the U-NEXT website or the official tournament website for the latest broadcast information.
Women
Qualifier Week 1: Ottawa (Canada)
June 5th (Thu) 0:00～ vs Netherlands
June 7th (Sat) 8:30 vs Serbia
June 8th (Sun) 5:00am vs Canada
June 9th (Mon) 0:00～ vs Dominican Republic
Qualifiers Week 2: Hong Kong
June 18th (Wed) 18:00～ vs Thailand
June 20th (Friday) 21:30～ vs Italy
June 21st (Sat) 21:00~ vs China
June 22nd (Sun) 17:30～ vs Czech Republic
Qualifying Round Week 3: Chiba (Japan)
July 9th (Wed) 19:20～ vs France
July 10th (Thu) 19:20～ vs Korea
July 12th (Sat) 19:20～ vs Poland
July 13th (Sun) 19:20～ vs Brazil
Final Round: Lodz (Poland)
The host nation, Poland, and the top seven teams from the qualifying round will advance.
July 23rd (Wed) to 27th (Sun)
Boys
Preliminary Round Week 1: Xi'an (China)
June 11th (Wednesday) 18:00~ vs China
June 12th (Thu) 21:30～ vs Poland
June 13th (Friday) 18:00～ vs Serbia
June 15th (Sun) 12:30～ vs Netherlands
Qualifying Round Week 2: Burgas (Bulgaria)
June 26th (Thu) 1:30～ vs Bulgaria
June 26th (Thu) 21:00～ vs France
June 27th (Friday) 21:00～ vs Ukraine
June 29th (Sun) 18:00～ vs Slovenia
Qualifying Round Week 3: Chiba (Tokyo)
July 16th (Wed) 19:20～ vs Germany
July 17th (Thu) 19:20～ vs Argentina
Friday, July 18th 19:20～ vs Brazil
July 20th (Sun) 19:20～ vs USA
Final Round: Ningbo (China)
The host country, China, and the top seven teams from the qualifying round will advance.
July 30th (Wed) to August 3rd (Sun)
There is also a TV broadcast...
The television broadcasts scheduled for VNL2025 are as follows:
- Japan Round (4 matches each for men and women): TBS Network (terrestrial broadcasting)
- Overseas round (all Japan matches): BS-TBS
However, some of the matches in the overseas rounds are recorded and broadcast. Also, commercials are inserted during timeouts and between sets during TV broadcasts, and in some cases, parts of the match may not be viewable. Therefore, I personally strongly recommend watching on a streaming service rather than on TV.
Quick comparison of streaming services
Basically, "U-NEXT"mosquito"Volleyball TV" You will have to choose from.
| item | U-NEXT | Volleyball TV |
|---|---|---|
| ① Fees | 2,189 yen per month (tax included) Free trial for the first 31 days | Monthly fee of 1,699 yen (tax included) or annual fee of 7,104 yen (tax included) |
| ② Distribution content | ・All matches between Japan in the men's and women's matches in the Nations League 2025 and the final, and all matches between Japan in the men's and women's matches in the World Volleyball 2025 with live commentary in Japanese ・"Featured Players/Close Tracking Channel" (VNL Japan Round only, additional fee) available | ・All Nations League 2025 matches (including the Japan match) will be streamed in English |
| ③ Archive | Available (After the live broadcast, it will be available for on-demand viewing as soon as it is ready (distribution period: 6 months)) | Available (After live streaming, it can be viewed on demand (no distribution deadline)) |
| ④ Features | ・Comes with Japanese commentary and commentary ・Free trial for the first 31 days ・Abundant content including movies, dramas, anime, magazines, etc. ・1,200 yen worth of points awarded every month (when continuing) ・The UI is easy to understand in Japanese | ・All matches are covered. ・You can also watch international competitions and domestic league matches in Italy, Poland, and other countries. |
| ④ Disadvantages | ・You cannot watch any games other than those of the Japanese national team (except for the final) | ・Not fully compatible with Japanese The UI is a little hard to use |
▶ Start your free trial with U-NEXT now
*Only the Japan round can be viewed on TVer
[U-NEXT exclusive】What is the "Featured Players/Thorough Marking Channel"?
On the additional channel exclusive to U-NEXT, you can enjoy videos focusing on specific star players such as Yuki Ishikawa, Ai Takahashi, and Mayu Ishikawa. You can follow the movements of the players even when there is no ball, so it's perfect for supporting your favorite players!
・Viewing fee
Women's Japan Round 4 Match Pack: 3,600 yen each (tax included)
Men's Japan Round 4 Match Pack: 3,600 yen each (tax included)
Japan Round 1 match single ticket: 1,200 yen each (tax included)
[Applicable matches]
Men's and women's Japan Round 8 matches
Which one do you recommend?
Who is U-NEXT suitable for?
- I want to enjoy Japan national team matches in Japanese
- I want to try it out first with the first trial.
- I want to enjoy movies and anime as well
- I want to thoroughly follow my favorite player.
Who is Volleyball TV suitable for?
- I want to watch games from around the world other than Japan's matches.
- I want to cover all FIVB-sponsored tournaments.
- English broadcasts are no problem
- I want to keep costs down as much as possible
*6/14 Update: We have received several inquiries from people who have signed up for "Volleyball TV," such as "I signed up for a one-month plan, but it was changed to a one-year plan without my permission and I was charged for the whole year." I personally have been able to use it without any problems, but please sign up at your own risk.
For more information about Volleyball TV, please see the following article:
Conclusion: If you're unsure, go with U-NEXT!
Volleyball TV is also recommended for heavy fans who want to watch matches from around the world, but if you want to watch the Japan games that many people are paying attention to in a safe and comfortable manner, U-NEXT is the best choice.
Especially for those who are using U-NEXT for the first time,31-day free trialIt is possible. Why not take this opportunity to give it a try?
▶ Get a free 31-day trial of U-NEXT here!
The excitement of volleyball is now even more accessible. Enjoy VNL2025 to the fullest on U-NEXT!
Related links
Photo: FIVB
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