Entertainment
Banijay Entertainment is taking on Ninja Warrior. The distributor has swung into action to take the international rights to the mega-obstacle-course format, which was created by Japanese broadcaster TBS.
The deal sees Banijay acquire sales rights worldwide, excluding the U.S., Asia, France, Germany and Poland. That still leaves plenty of the world for Banijay to shop the popular format to, and the timing is good, with the deal coming days before MIPCOM, the biggest TV market of the year.
Banijay said that the deal enables it “to scale and relaunch the format globally through its network of labels.”
“This is classic sportainment at its very best, packed with intense jeopardy, physical prowess and competitive energy,” said James Townley, Chief Content Officer, Banijay Entertainment. “With our expertise in refreshing iconic formats, we are well-placed to evolve this brand, building on the momentum from TBS.”
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“This new partnership is an exciting step for our signature format, Ninja Warrior,” added Katsuaki Seto, Executive Officer for the global business at TBS Holdings. “Guided by our business purpose – Inspiring Global Love for Japan through Timeless Moments – we look forward to delivering this iconic physical game show to even more countries and audiences worldwide.”
The deal was brokered by Helen Greatorex, Head of Format Acquisitions at Banijay Entertainment. Ninja Warrior joins Banijay Entertainment’s third-party portfolio heading to Cannes, which includes culinary format Atypical Critics from Pixcom International, featuring autistic food critics, and competitive knitting series The Game of Wool from Hello Halo.
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Stewart Clarke