ITV Studios Partners With TBS

ITV Studios and Tokyo Broadcasting System Television (TBS) are partnering to create the world's first ever Ninja Warrior FAST channel dedicated to programming from around the world.

The deal is a first, both in terms of ITV Studios’ first FAST channel creation for third party IP as well as Tokyo Broadcasting's first foray into FAST. Brokered by Bellon Entertainment on behalf of TBS, it will see ITV Studios creating, operating, marketing and distributing the Ninja Warrior channel in the UK and Canada initially, with Australia and several other major territories to follow in the coming months.

Avid fans of the exhilarating show will be able to watch episodes of the UK edition programmed alongside international versions including the US and Australia, as well as the original competition created by TBS in Japan: Sasuke. The channel is available now on Pluto TV in the UK and Canada and will launch on Rakuten TV and Samsung TV Plus in the UK later in Q4.

The phenomenal sports entertainment reality competition, Ninja Warrior, was originally commissioned by ITV in the UK where ITV Studios also operates 19 Ninja Warrior UK adventure parks.

Ninja Warrior has become a globally recognised brand since its launch on TBS in 1997 and has gone on to be remade in a further 25 markets. A long-running, family favourite, in the US NBC has most recently aired its 16th season and in Germany where it is the most successful physical game show on TV, RTL has ordered its tenth. The finished series has been sold into 160 countries including The Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, New Zealand and pan regionally in Asia.

www.itv.com