Hokkaido Television Broadcasting

What Hokkaido Television Broadcasting does

Hokkaido Television Broadcasting Co., Ltd. (HTB, 北海道テレビ放送株式会社) is a regional commercial television broadcaster headquartered in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan. Founded in 1969 (some sources cite 1967), HTB operates on channel 6 and is affiliated with TV Asahi within the ANN (All-Nippon News Network). The company serves Hokkaido residents through a programming slate anchored by local news (HTB News / Hokkaido News 24), weather, sports (notably Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters baseball via FFFFF and Consadole Sapporo soccer), and a portfolio of homegrown variety shows including the long-running Wednesday Do Demara (water-do deshyo, since 1996), Ichimoni!, Ichioshi!!, Hanatare Nax, and Onigiri Atatememasuka. HTB achieved 4-category viewership leadership for two consecutive years in FY2025, confirming dominant positioning in the Hokkaido broadcast market.

The company's core technology is a regional over-the-air broadcast infrastructure complemented by a proprietary digital stack: the hod (HTB Hokkaido on-demand) video-on-demand platform for streaming original programs, the SODANE lifestyle and editorial portal (sodane.hokkaido.jp), official channels on YouTube, LINE LIVE, Niconico, TikTok, Instagram, X/Facebook, and the HTB Selections archival documentary project. Revenue is generated primarily through television commercial advertising sold to businesses targeting the Hokkaido audience, with secondary streams from large-scale fan events (UNITE2026, CARAVAN, COCO CAMP HOKKAIDO), sponsored content and tournaments, official merchandise (htbshop), and mascot IP (on-chan). HTB operates an event-driven go-to-market motion combining broadcast reach with physical fan events and digital engagement, supported by sponsorship relationships with companies including Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Daiwa House PREMIST DOME, Coleman, Nanohana Pharmacy, and Sapporo Medical University. The company is privately held with 101-250 employees and no publicly identified parent company or institutional shareholders.

Name

Hokkaido Television Broadcasting

Legal name

北海道テレビ放送株式会社

Website

https://htb.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

HTB is a regional commercial television broadcaster headquartered in Sapporo, Japan, affiliated with TV Asahi's ANN network, serving Hokkaido viewers with local news, sports, and homegrown variety programming and generating revenue primarily from television advertising.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Television Broadcasting

NAICS

Television Broadcasting Stations (51612), Television Broadcasting Stations (516120), Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations (5161), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (5162), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)

SIC

Television Broadcasting Stations (4833)

akta.pro primary industry

Local News & Weather Stations (MPABACAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Program Distribution to Stations & Affiliates (Domestic) (MPABAMAC), Sports Live Streaming Platforms (MPACACAF)

Keywords

• Regional television broadcasting
• Local news programming
• Sports broadcasting
• Video on demand
• Broadcast advertising

Headquarters

HQ city

Chuo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Television advertising: HTB generates primary revenue through television commercial advertising sold to businesses targeting the Hokkaido audience. As a commercial TV broadcaster, advertising slots during news, sports, and entertainment programming constitute its main revenue stream.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Hokkaido Television Broadcasting (HTB) operates a regional commercial television broadcasting service for the Hokkaido prefecture as an affiliate of the TV Asahi network (ANN). It produces and distributes local news, sports (including Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters baseball), entertainment variety shows, dramas, and weather programming, complemented by the proprietary hod video-on-demand streaming platform and large-scale fan events.

Product overview

Hokkaido Television Broadcasting (HTB) operates as a regional television broadcaster in Hokkaido, Japan, affiliated with the TV Asahi network (ANN). The company's product portfolio consists of a core broadcast television service complemented by multiple programmatic sub-brands and digital platforms. The primary offerings include morning information program 'イチモニ！', afternoon program 'イチオシ！！', flagship late-night variety shows '水曜どうでしょう' and 'ハナタレナックス', and food travel program 'おにぎりあたためますか'. Digital services include video-on-demand platform 'hod' for streaming original content, lifestyle content platform 'SODANE', and official merchandise shop '南平岸ユメミル工房'. The company also organizes large-scale fan events like '水曜どうでしょう祭UNITE' and camping event 'ここキャン北海道', while its mascot 'onちゃん' serves as a community engagement brand. News and sports divisions provide 24-hour local coverage through HTBニュース and HTBスポーツ, with specialized programming like 'FFFFF' for Fighters baseball and 'LOVE HOKKAIDO' for regional tourism content.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HTB北海道テレビ放送株式会社: Main broadcast company and brand identity for Hokkaido Television Broadcasting
• SODANE
• onちゃん
• hod (HTB北海道オンデマンド)

Products and services

• HTB Television Broadcasting Service Core commercial television broadcasting service for Hokkaido, affiliated with TV Asahi's ANN network. Delivers local news, sports, entertainment variety shows, dramas, and national network programming over-the-air on channel 6 across the entire Hokkaido prefecture. Targeted at Hokkaido households and viewers.
• hod (HTB北海道オンデマンド) Video-on-Demand Service HTB's proprietary video-on-demand streaming platform offering free streaming of HTB original programs including おにぎりあたためますか, 錦鯉が行く！のりのり散歩, HTB anniversary dramas, and exclusive content. Available to viewers in Japan.
• SODANE Content Platform HTB's original content platform covering Hokkaido lifestyle, gourmet food, travel, and local entertainment information through editorial articles and multimedia content. Targeted at Hokkaido residents and visitors interested in regional lifestyle content.
• HTB Online Shop (南平岸ユメミル工房) Official HTB merchandise e-commerce shop selling program-related goods, DVDs, Blu-rays, and commemorative items featuring HTB programs and mascot characters. Targeted at fans of HTB programs and Hokkaido enthusiasts.
• 水曜どうでしょう祭UNITE Fan Festival Large-scale multi-day fan festival celebrating the 水曜どうでしょう program, featuring live performances, guest appearances, and fan activities held at Daiwa House PREMIST DOME in Sapporo. Targeted at devoted fans of the program nationwide.
• COCO CAMP HOKKAIDO (ここキャン北海道) Camping Event Outdoor camping event program where fans camp with 水曜どうでしょう directors at various Hokkaido campsites, enjoying local specialties and outdoor activities. Co-sponsored by Coleman, Logos, Tripath, and Marumi Coffee. Targeted at program fans and outdoor enthusiasts.
• HTB Classic Concert Series Classical music concert event series featuring piano recitals and orchestral performances, including KINASHI CLASSIC in SAPPORO at Sapporo Cultural Arts Theater hitaru performed with the Sapporo Symphony Orchestra. Targeted at classical music enthusiasts in Hokkaido.
• onちゃん (On-chan) Mascot Brand HTB's official mascot character brand featuring a dedicated app, merchandise, events, and children's programming content, serving as a community engagement vehicle across Hokkaido. Targeted at children and families in Hokkaido.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• 株式会社なの花药房 (Nanohana Pharmacy)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 June 2026Nanohana Pharmacy serves as the title sponsor (冠協賛) of the 45th Hokkaido Elementary School Badminton Tournament organized by HTB. The tournament takes place at Kitami Gas Arena Sapporo 46 with a broadcast date of September 12, 2026.
• テレビ朝日 (TV Asahi)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 17 June 2026HTB operates as an affiliated station of TV Asahi within the ANN (All Nippon News Network) broadcasting group, carrying TV Asahi network programming and collaborating on special projects such as テレメンタリー documentary series produced jointly by ANN stations.
• 札幌医科大学 (Sapporo Medical University)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 June 2026HTB co-hosts a sports medicine seminar with Sapporo Medical University featuring speed skating gold medalist 高木美帆, with university faculty participating as speakers and the event held at the university's lecture hall.
• 商船三井さんふらわあ (Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Sunflower)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 March 2026商船三井さんふらわあ serves as the title sponsor (冠協賛) of ここキャン北海道 2026, with HTB promoting the ferry company's Oarai-Tomakomai route to participants traveling to the camping event. Special on-ferry events with HTB directors are also organized.
• 大和ハウスプレミストドーム (Daiwa House PREMIST DOME)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 March 2026The Daiwa House PREMIST DOME in Sapporo's Y羊ヶ丘 serves as the venue for HTB's flagship event 水曜どうでしょう祭UNITE2026, scheduled for September 4-6, 2026. This is a multi-day fan festival centered on HTB's iconic variety program.
• 札幌交響楽団 (Sapporo Symphony Orchestra)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Sapporo Symphony Orchestra serves as the orchestra for the KINASHI CLASSIC in SAPPORO event hosted by HTB at Sapporo Cultural Arts Theater hitaru, featuring 木梨憲武 as performer with conductor Mitsuhashi Keiko.
• コールマン (Coleman)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerColeman serves as a co-sponsor (協力) for ここキャン北海道 2026, providing camping equipment support for the event.
• ロゴス (Logos)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLogos serves as a co-sponsor (協力) for ここキャン北海道 2026, providing camping equipment support.
• トリパス (Tripath)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTripath serves as a co-sponsor (協力) for ここキャン北海道 2026.
• 丸美珈琲店 (Marumi Coffee)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarumi Coffee serves as a co-sponsor (協賛) for ここキャン北海道 2026, providing coffee products for event participants.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• TV Asahi Holdings: TV Asahi is HTB's network parent in the ANN group. As a national broadcast network, it sets network programming, fees, and strategy that directly shape HTB's content and economics, making it a broader incumbent peer.
• TBS Holdings: TBS is a major Japanese national commercial broadcast network and parent of competing HBC affiliate's network. It is comparable as a broader incumbent in Japanese broadcasting with overlap in content production and ad sales.

Direct peers

• Hokkaido Broadcasting System (HBC): HBC is the dominant legacy commercial broadcaster in Hokkaido and a JNN (TBS) affiliate. It directly competes with HTB for Hokkaido viewers and advertising spend, making it the most comparable regional peer operating in the same territory.
• Sapporo Television Broadcasting (STV): STV is another major Hokkaido commercial broadcaster, affiliated with Nippon Television (NNN). It competes head-to-head with HTB in local news, sports rights, and entertainment programming within the same regional market.
• Hokkaido Cultural Broadcasting (UHB): UHB is a Hokkaido-based commercial broadcaster affiliated with Fuji Television (FNN). It is a direct competitor to HTB for advertising and viewer share within the same geographic region.
• TV Hokkaido (TVh): TVh is a Hokkaido commercial broadcaster affiliated with TV Tokyo (TXN). It competes in the same Hokkaido market with focus on specialty programming, representing another directly comparable regional peer.

Emerging players

• WOWOW: WOWOW is a Japanese pay-TV/subscription broadcaster with premium content. It is comparable as an alternative content distribution model competing for the same Hokkaido advertising-elite viewer segment and shows the subscription path HTB's hod platform may eventually pursue.
• AbemaTV (CyberAgent): AbemaTV is a major Japanese streaming/OTT platform competing for the same audience attention and advertising budgets that HTB relies on. It is an emerging competitor whose growth directly pressures regional broadcasters' viewership and ad share.

Regional players

• Hiroshima Home Television: HHTV is an ANN-affiliated regional broadcaster serving the Hiroshima area. It shares network affiliation structure and regional commercial broadcaster business model with HTB but operates in a different geography.
• Nagoya Broadcasting Network: Mei-Tele is an ANN affiliate serving the Chubu/Nagoya region. It is comparable as a regional ANN network station with similar affiliate economics, though it operates in a different geographic market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/htb_kouhou
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/HTB6CH
• Facebookfacebook.com/HTB6ch.fanpage
• Instagraminstagram.com/htb_6ch
• TikToktiktok.com/@htb.tiktok

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Hokkaido Television Broadcasting