Banijay’s Endemol Shine Australia Signs Development Deal With ‘Ninja Warrior’ Creator Tokyo Broadcasting System (EXCLUSIVE)

Endemol Shine Australia (ESA), part of French TV giant Banijay Entertainment, has formed a global partnership with Tokyo Broadcasting System Television (TBS), the Japanese broadcaster and producer behind international hit formats such as “Ninja Warrior” and “Takeshi’s Castle.”

The co-development deal will give ESA access to TBS’s library of new and existing formats which it can look to innovate and adapt for both Australian and global audiences. As part of the agreement, Banijay Entertainment has a first-look arrangement to produce the co-developed titles locally across its label footprint.

The first TBS format now in development with ESA is a take on the strategic gameshow “Actors Vs Reactors,” produced by Junya Ueda. Reinvented and scaled by ESA as “The Insider,” the format sees a group of celebrities in a strategic game where they will be continually and mercilessly pranked. But one celebrity sneakily knows the details of every prank and is faking their reactions. As the description goes, “Can the celebrities find The Insider before they win all the cash?”

“The Insider” will be showcased at Banijay Entertainment’s exclusive London TV Screenings event being held at BAFTA’s London headquarters.

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“As a content powerhouse, Banijay Entertainment prides itself on being a home for the world’s best creative talent and a partner to leading ideators in the market,” said Banijay CEO Marco Bassetti. “Via this all-new agreement, ESA has a unique opportunity to delve into TBS’ portfolio to apply its expertise in fostering new global hits and supersizing reimaginations. Diversifying and complementing our own catalogue of standout titles, the collaboration will also lean on our 21-territory-strong footprint to localise and scale these next generation superbrands.”

Added Endemol Shine Australia CEO Peter Newman: “We have a worldwide reputation for creating our own groundbreaking formats and supersizing existing ones. Working alongside TBS on this exciting initiative, we are excited to apply our creative lens to reinventing these local formats for a global audience. With ‘The Insider,’ we have a title built for a broad audience – unpredictable and attention-grabbing. Combining the thrill and addictiveness of strategic gameplay, with explosive laugh-out-loud excitement, this hysterical genre-busting show promises surprises, deception, celebrities, comedy and sleuthing – perfect ingredients for a universal travelling hit.”

TBS is one of Japan’s largest media conglomerates and responsible for the original sports entertainment reality format “Ninja Warrior.” Originally known locally as “Sasuke,” the show first aired on the network in 1997 and has since been sold into 160 territories. It’s also behind hit variety show “Fun TV with Kato-chan and Ken-chan,” better known internationally as “America’s Funniest Home Videos.”

“TBS has designated FY2024 as the ‘First Year of Global Business,’ marking our commitment to strengthening our presence in the global market,” said TBS Holdings’ executive officer Katsuaki Setoguchi. “We are thrilled to have established a partnership with Endemol Shine Australia, renowned for their outstanding creative capabilities as part of Banijay Entertainment, a leader in the global content market. We have high expectations for the innovative unscripted format that this collaboration will bring to the market; our first project, ‘The Insider,’ combines the classic prank elements of Japanese variety shows with ESA’s supersizing prowess. We look forward to delivering a brand-new form of entertainment to audiences worldwide.”