The Story Lab and Dentsu Inc. acquire European format rights for TBS's Sasuke/Ninja Warrior

Dentsu Aegis Network’s specialist content business, The Story Lab, today announces that with Dentsu Inc., it will manage all European format sales and brand partnerships for TBS’s leading sports entertainment programme, Sasuke, also known as Ninja Warrior, following the agreement by its parent company, Dentsu Inc. and TBS, to enter into a format rights agreement for two years.

Under the terms of the agreement Dentsu Inc. will acquire rights to the format in Europe (excluding Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland) with The Story Lab building on the popularity and momentum the format currently enjoys around the world.

Sasuke / Ninja Warrior is a highly successful sports entertainment programme that was first broadcast in 1997. In the programme, contestants, including Olympians and athletes from all works of life, challenge the world’s toughest obstacle course. To date more than 3,000 contestants have challenged the course and only three have successfully conquered all four stages. The US version of Sasuke, known as American Ninja Warrior, is entering its seventh season on NBC this summer.

Sasuke has been broadcast in 157 countries and territories to date. Local versions of the programme have been produced in the US, Malaysia, Singapore, and Sweden; with production currently ongoing in Turkey and Vietnam. The format has most recently been sold to the UK commercial broadcaster ITV and went on air last weekend.

-ENDS- 

For further information contact:

Michael Iskas
President, The Story Lab
T: +44 7903 870047
E: Michael.Iskas@storylab.com 

Notes to Editors

About The Story Lab

The Story Lab is Dentsu Aegis Network's specialist content agency. It commissions, acquires and activates innovative content formats and IPs that create business and brand value for Dentsu Aegis Network clients and partners. Currently The Story Lab has offices in the US, Canada, Mexico, Australia, Vietnam, France, Norway and the UK, the base of its global headquarter, while expanding to more European and Asian markets in 2015. The Story Lab vision is to innovate the supply chain of story-telling.

About Tokyo Broadcasting System Television, Inc.

Established in 1951, Tokyo Broadcasting System Television, Inc. (TBS) and 30 TBS Group companies constitute one of the largest media conglomerates in Japan encompassing a wide range of media and business activities including broadcast (nationwide terrestrial TV/radio networks to digital satellite, mobile, and broadband), content production (TV/radio programs, formats, movies, video/DVDs, internet, computer graphics), domestic/overseas distribution, concerts and other events. With long-running hits like America's Funniest Home Videos, Sasuke/Ninja Warrior, Takeshi’s Castle/MXC, etc. TBS continues to be a strong provider of content in the global arena distributing programs of all genres to over 150 countries. For more information visit:

About Dentsu Inc.

Dentsu is the world’s largest advertising agency brand. Led by Dentsu Inc. (Tokyo: 4324; ISIN: JP3551520004), a company with a history of 113 years of innovation, the Dentsu Group provides a comprehensive range of client-centric brand, integrated communications, media and digital services through its eight global network brands—Carat, Dentsu, Dentsu media, iProspect, Isobar, mcgarrybowen, Posterscope and Vizeum—as well as through its specialist/multi-market brands including Amnet, Amplifi, Data2Decisions, Mitchell Communications (PR), psLIVE and 360i.

The Dentsu Group has a strong presence in 124 countries across five continents, and employs around 40,000 dedicated professionals. Dentsu Aegis Network Ltd., its global business headquarters in London, oversees Dentsu’s agency operations outside of Japan. The Group is also active in the production and marketing of sports and entertainment content on a global scale. : http://www.dentsu.com/