Tokyo Broadcast System Holdings, the parent company of Japanese TV network TBS, announced a new company focused on planning, developing, and producing anime. The company is tentatively titled CIP.
TBS is investing 30 billion yen, or about $207 million, to establish the company, maximize revenue, and accelerate global expansion through collaboration with Mainichi Broadcasting System (MBS). MBS will assist in IP development, production, and distribution, thanks to the network’s knowledge on anime.
With executives from MBS, CIP will also recruit people from animation, merchandise, and technology fields. CIP will host events using IP from TBS at Akasaka Sacas and Akasaka Entertainment City. Moreover, the U-NEXT streaming service will distribute anime from CIP, and the Plaza brand will introduce merchandise from the IP for Hearts Up! customers.
Moreover, Square Enix is collaborating with TBS to develop a new original intellectual property game. The game will reinforce TBS TV’s brand promise of “From each moment, a better tomorrow” under the “EDGE (Expand Digital Global Experience)” strategy. TBS wants to challenge itself by pioneering digital content and growing its global content brand.
The establishment of TBS Games in July 2023 is part of this challenge, with a focus on creating new IPs from games. The new IP game from Square Enix and TBS TV is being developed for domestic (Japan) and overseas markets, and it will combine the experiences and strengths of each company from their respective fields, according to the press release.
