Nippon TV Announces New President/CEO and New Content Strategy Division
NEW PRESIDENT AND NEW DIVISION
TO LEAD THE COMPANY'S STRATEGIC GLOBAL GROWTH PLAN
TOKYO, JAPAN – June 29, 2022– As a part of the company's goal to advance as an integrated content company, Nippon TV, Japan's leading multiplatform entertainment powerhouse, announced today that Akira Ishizawa, former Senior Executive Operating Officer of Nippon TV, has been promoted to President and Chief Executive Officer of Nippon TV. He replaces Yoshikuni Sugiyama who will be taking the new position of Chairman of Nippon TV. The promotion was made today and is effective immediately.
Additionally, the company has also announced the establishment of a new Content Strategy Division that aims to accelerate large-scale co-development and co-production projects with streamers, broadcasters, and producers around the world. Already having experienced tremendous global success with its scripted and non-scripted formats, the goal is to build new strategic creative collaborations with international partners to create original content for viewers worldwide.
Furthermore, Mikiko Nishiyama, currently Managing Director of International Business Development, has been promoted to Executive Vice President of International Business Development and will oversee the international sector of this new Content Strategy Division.
“At Nippon TV, we aim to become a company that is at the forefront of inspiration and reliability with an expansion strategy centered on strong content and formats, taking on challenges in new business areas,” commented Ishizawa. “As the newly appointed President, it is my goal to strengthen the overall vision of the company to produce and deliver content for global viewers. With this goal in mind, we have established a new Content Strategy Division within the company that specializes in co-creating content with global partners. We look forward to bringing the extremely unique ideas that this new Division will create.”
Additionally, Nippon TV Holdings, Nippon TV's parent company where Ishizawa will also be President and Chief Executive Officer, will maintain the investment budget of ¥100 billion to strengthen and expand its media content business as well as businesses that contribute to society, to enter new areas with the aim of achieving sustained growth in corporate value.
ABOUT NIPPON TV
Nippon TV is Japan's leading multiplatform entertainment powerhouse and ratings champion broadcaster, as well as owner of streaming giant Hulu in Japan. Over 90% of its content IP is fully owned by Nippon TV and the company has been active in bringing its content to the international market in the form of anime, ready-made programs, formats, and through co-production partnerships. One of the biggest successes for the nation's finest producer of all genres of programming is the Emmy Award-winning Dragons' Den/Shark Tank, a globally successful business show format that has 45 versions in more than 186 countries across all continents of the world. Additionally, their hit drama series Mother has also achieved global success as the most exported scripted format out of Asia, with its format sales to South Korea, Turkey, Ukraine, France, Thailand, China, Indonesia, and Spain. The company is also known for its viewer-engaging show Old Enough!, now streaming on Netflix in over 190 countries, and BLOCK OUT, an action-packed game show format that has been adapted in Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Spain, and Holland, the award-winning unscripted format Mute it!, and Sokkuri Sweets, both produced in the Netherlands, and Sokkuri Sweets/Eye Candy on The Roku Channel in the US, UK, and Canada. Nippon TV has also been producing animation programs since the 1950s and attracts fanatic anime fans with legendary series such as Lupin the 3rd, DEATH NOTE, Ouran High School Host Club, HUNTER × HUNTER, Parasyte -the maxim-, that are instantly distributed in almost 200 countries at the same time as its release in Japan. As evident by the company's success, Nippon TV is leveraging its coveted platform to revolutionize digital media in an ever-changing industry to solidify its presence and brand as a global media leader.