TBS International

What TBS International does

TBS International (Tokyo Broadcasting System International, Inc.) is a New York–incorporated, wholly-owned U.S. subsidiary of Tokyo Broadcasting System Holdings, Inc., operating as the group's North American arm across three business pillars: content format licensing, sports and entertainment production coordination, and news gathering. The company manages a portfolio of globally proven unscripted television format IPs—including American Ninja Warrior (NBC since 2009), Takeshi's Castle, America's Funniest Home Videos (ABC), and the newer KASSO brand—through its wholly-owned subsidiary Bellon Entertainment (acquired May 2024), with formats broadcast across approximately 160 countries and regions. The Sports & Entertainment Production pillar handles Japanese broadcast rights and on-site production support for premier international sports events including the Masters Tournament (exclusive in Japan for 51 consecutive years through 2026), the World Athletics Championships, the Olympics, MLB, and the World Baseball Classic, serving Japanese clients such as TBS Television, WOWOW, and U-NEXT.

The company operates three news bureaus—New York (headquarters relocated to 780 Third Avenue in July 2025), Washington D.C. (National Press Building), and Los Angeles (opened 2025)—providing news coverage and production support from the Americas to TBS Television and the JNN network of 28 affiliates for Japanese audiences. In May 2026, TBS International appointed Elwin de Groot as Senior Unscripted Development Executive at the LA office to drive original IP development for U.S. and global markets. Revenue is generated through format licensing royalties, broadcast rights commissions, and B2B professional services (director/camera crew dispatch, outside broadcast coordination, news production support), all negotiated on a project-by-project basis with enterprise media clients. The company employs 26 staff as of July 1, 2026, holds paid-in capital of US $6.88 million, and is wholly funded by its parent—no independent venture or private equity rounds are disclosed.

Name

TBS International

Legal name

Tokyo Broadcasting System International, Inc.

Website

https://tbsi-us.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

TBS International is the U.S. subsidiary of Tokyo Broadcasting System Holdings, licensing unscripted TV formats globally and providing sports rights coordination and Americas news coverage for Japanese broadcasters. It operates three U.S. bureaus and a format sales subsidiary.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Television Content Licensing and Production Services

NAICS

Television Broadcasting Stations (51612), Motion Picture and Video Distribution (512120), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)

SIC

Television Broadcasting Stations (4833), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822)

akta.pro primary industry

International TV Broadcasters (Free-to-Air/Satellite/Cable) (MPABAEAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

International News & Current Affairs Broadcasters (MPABAEAD), International Sports Broadcasters & Rights Networks (MPABAJAE)

Keywords

• Content format licensing
• Sports broadcast rights
• Television production services
• News gathering services
• Unscripted TV formats

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Content Format Licensing: Licensing of TBS-originated television program formats (e.g., American Ninja Warrior, Takeshi's Castle, KASSO) to international broadcasters and production companies. Formats have been adapted in 25+ countries and distributed to 160+ countries/regions.
2. Sports Broadcast Rights Sales: Representing TBS Television in negotiating and coordinating Japanese broadcast rights for international sporting events including the Masters (exclusive to Japan for 50+ years), World Athletics Championships, Summer and Winter Olympics, Major League Baseball, World Baseball Classic, and Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship. Also provides on-site production operations and technical coordination.
3. Production Support Services: Providing TV production support, director/camera crew dispatch, technical support (outside broadcast vehicles, equipment procurement, transmission coordination), and sports news production support to TBS Television, BS-TBS, TBS Radio, and third-party Japanese broadcasters/platforms including WOWOW and U-NEXT.
4. News Gathering Services: News coverage from North and Central America and the Caribbean for TBS and the Japan News Network (JNN), covering U.S. politics, financial/economic news, international relations, entertainment news, and breaking news.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

TBS International develops and licenses unscripted television formats internationally, coordinates Japanese broadcast rights for premier sporting events (Masters, World Athletics, Olympics, MLB, World Baseball Classic), and provides news gathering and on-site production support services from its three U.S. bureaus to Japanese broadcasters and the JNN network. The company operates as the North American content, sports production, and news arm of Tokyo Broadcasting System Holdings, Inc.

Product overview

TBS International is a media and entertainment company with three core business pillars: Content Business, Sports & Entertainment Production, and News Coverage. The Content Business focuses on developing and distributing unscripted TV formats internationally through the Los Angeles Business Office (established 2025) and subsidiary Bellon Entertainment. Key formats include American Ninja Warrior (NBC), America's Funniest Home Videos (ABC), Takeshi's Castle, and KASSO. Sports & Entertainment Production provides production support for major sporting events (Masters, Olympics, MLB) and entertainment events. News Coverage operates three North American bureaus delivering news to Japanese audiences via TBS and JNN. The company also operates digital media platforms including TBS News DIG and TBS CROSS DIG with Bloomberg.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• KASSO: Skateboarding-based physical reality competition show that aired on TBS in 2024, gaining strong popularity among younger audiences; expanded to events including KASSO FEST SKATE & SOUND in Long Beach (March 2026), with expansion into fashion and other areas.
• American Ninja Warrior
• Takeshi's Castle
• America's Funniest Home Videos

Products and services

• Content Business (International Format Development and Licensing) Develops and distributes TBS-originated and original unscripted television formats internationally, for global broadcasters, networks, and streaming platforms. Operated through the Los Angeles Business Office (established 2025) in collaboration with subsidiary Bellon Entertainment.
• News Coverage Services News gathering and production support services from three North American bureaus (New York, Washington D.C., Los Angeles) covering U.S. politics, economics, international affairs, entertainment, and breaking news for Japanese audiences via TBS Television and the JNN network of 28 affiliates.
• Sports & Entertainment Production Services Production and on-site broadcast support for major sporting events (Masters Tournament, World Athletics Championships, Summer/Winter Olympics, MLB, World Baseball Classic) and entertainment events (Broadway, theatrical productions), including director/camera crew dispatch, outside broadcast vehicle deployment, equipment procurement, transmission coordination, and Japanese broadcast rights negotiation for TBS Television and third-party Japanese clients.
• American Ninja Warrior Format Physical reality competition show format based on TBS Japan's SASUKE, broadcast on NBC since 2009. Local versions produced in 25 countries and broadcast across 160+ countries and regions. Managed internationally through Bellon Entertainment.
• Takeshi's Castle Format Original TBS comedy game show from 1986 (originally broadcast as 風雲！たけし城), broadcast in approximately 160 countries and regions with dubbed versions and local adaptations in Thailand and Saudi Arabia. A new version was produced for Amazon Prime Video in 2023.
• KASSO Format Skateboard-based physical reality competition show that aired on TBS in 2024, popular with younger audiences. Expanded into live events including KASSO FEST SKATE & SOUND in Long Beach (March 2026) and into fashion merchandise.
• America's Funniest Home Videos Format Long-running unscripted comedy video clip show broadcast on ABC, developed and distributed in international partnership with Bellon Entertainment.

Quantifiable outcome

• Ninja Warrior format has been produced in 25 countries and broadcast in 160+ countries and regions
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Bellon Entertainment, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2024Bellon Entertainment, a pioneer in international program format sales established in New York in 1994, became a wholly-owned subsidiary of TBS International in May 2024. Bellon has been the key partner in developing and distributing TBS formats internationally, including American Ninja Warrior, Takeshi's Castle, and America's Funniest Home Videos. TBS International's LA Business Office works in close collaboration with Bellon Entertainment to develop and sell TBS-originated and original unscripted formats globally.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Fremantle: One of the largest global format producers and distributors (formerly Endemol Shine, now owned by RTL Group/Bertelsmann). Directly comparable to TBS International's format licensing and international distribution business via its subsidiary Bellon Entertainment, with comparable formats like Idol, Got Talent, and Big Brother.
• ITV Studios: International television production and distribution arm of ITV plc, the UK's largest commercial broadcaster. Closely comparable as a broadcaster-owned international content arm with global format distribution (Love Island, The Voice, I'm a Celebrity), analogous to TBS International's role as the international arm of TBS Holdings.
• BBC Studios: Commercial arm of the BBC, distributing BBC content and developing international formats. Comparable as the international operations arm of a major public broadcaster, with both content licensing and news gathering operations similar to TBS International's JNN news bureau model.
• Sony Pictures Television: Global television production and distribution arm of Sony, with major international format licensing operations (including Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy!). Comparable as a major media conglomerate's international content arm with both format distribution and production services.
• Warner Bros. Discovery International: International arm of Warner Bros. Discovery, distributing content globally and operating international format licensing businesses. Comparable as a major media conglomerate's international distribution and format licensing operation, though at significantly larger scale.

Direct peers

• All3Media: Independent British television production and distribution company with global format licensing operations. Direct peer in international format sales, particularly for unscripted formats, with comparable business model of acquiring and licensing premium content IP.
• NHK World-Japan: International broadcasting service of Japan's public broadcaster NHK. Comparable international TV broadcasting arm serving Japanese content globally, with news gathering operations and a long-standing bureau infrastructure in major world cities.
• Fuji Television (Fuji TV): Another major Japanese commercial broadcaster with international news and content operations. Closely comparable as a competitor broadcaster in the Japanese market with international bureau operations in major U.S. cities and sports rights negotiation capabilities.
• Nippon Television Network (NTV): Major Japanese commercial broadcaster and direct competitor to TBS Television in the Japanese market. Most directly comparable peer as a fellow Japanese terrestrial broadcaster with international operations, similar news bureau infrastructure, and format licensing activities.
• Banijay: Global content production and distribution group and the world's largest independent content producer. Direct competitor in international format licensing with comparable business model (developing and licensing unscripted formats globally). Recently acquired Endemol Shine to form the global leader.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about TBS International