In this episode, we sit down with Yuki Akehi, who leads global PR and marketing at Nippon TV, to explore how a 70-year-old Japanese broadcaster is turning its content into a global business. Yuki traces her path from sports broadcasting and national PR into the international content industry, and breaks down how Nippon TV approaches formats, from adapting long-running Japanese hits like Old Enough, after Netflix's global release, to building new formats from zero with Gyokuro Studios. We dig into what makes a concept travel, how much flexibility to give local producers adapting a format, and how the company manages character IP, anime and film. We also look at Viral Pocket, Nippon TV's vertical-first studio for sponsor-integrated content and micro dramas, and the culture of curiosity and internal competition behind the business's willingness to test new things. To hear from an expert on what makes a format work across borders, how a broadcaster builds for a global audience from day one, and why staying flexible with partners is where the magic happens, tune in..
00:00 – Introduction
00:50 – Yuki's path from live sports broadcasting to global PR and marketing
02:50 – Formats: adapting Japanese hits vs building new ones for the world
04:15 – How Old Enough went from a 30-year-old Japanese show to a Netflix global release
05:55 – Why audiences were divided on Old Enough, and how the show won them over
09:15 – Relaunching Old Enough as a format, and the versions it has inspired
11:55 – Inside Gyrokuro Studios: creating formats from zero with a global audience in mind
14:45 – What makes a format travel across borders?
16:40 – How much flexibility should local producers have when adapting a format?
18:15 – The Hotspot on Netflix: why a very Japanese story has universal appeal
21:35 – Managing character IP and taking a beloved Japanese brand global
24:50 – The anime pipeline: from manga and series to film and merchandise
27:05 – Why the opportunity for IP is "limitless" in the era of digital, social and VTubers
29:05 – Viral Pocket: Nippon TV's push into vertical content
30:15 – Sponsor integration and micro dramas: how Viral Pocket works
31:40 – Why building vertical-first beats adapting horizontal content
32:50 – Why Nippon TV is happy to be first to test new media
36:40 – Advice for global partners looking to work with Nippon TV
38:10 – Closing thoughts