U-Next
- Company typePublic
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersTokyo, Japan
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What U-Next does
U-NEXT Co., Ltd. (株式会社U-NEXT, TYO:9418 within the USEN-NEXT HOLDINGS group) operates Japan's pioneering subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) platform, launched in 2007 as GyaO NEXT and renamed U-NEXT in 2009. The company serves Japanese consumers with a comprehensive entertainment library of more than 16,500 movies, plus dramas, anime, documentaries, Korean content, and live events. Its proprietary platform integrates SVOD, e-books, audiobooks, comics, and original publishing under a single subscription, and includes 1,200 monthly points redeemable for rentals or mobile data — a hybrid model that distinguishes it from pure-play streaming peers.
The technology stack centers on a streaming platform with 4K Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos support (the first Japanese OTT to offer this for Hollywood features) and an early integration of Google Media CDN. Distribution spans direct-to-consumer (web, iOS, Android, smart TV, VR headsets including Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest 2, and BMW vehicles), ISP bundles (So-net, NURO, BIGLOBE), an in-house MVNO (U-NEXT MOBILE, launched November 2025 at ¥2,489/month for 30GB), and telecom partnerships including a co-branded Rakuten最強U-NEXT plan. Pre-installed U-NEXT buttons on remotes from all major TV manufacturers (Sony BRAVIA, Toshiba REGZA, Amazon Fire TV) constitute a structural distribution advantage in the Japanese market.
U-NEXT generates revenue through monthly SVOD subscriptions, à la carte rentals and purchases, dedicated sports content packs (Premier League under a 7-year deal, PGA Tour, ATP Tour, UFC, ONE Championship, PFL), B2B content packages (e.g., the Soccer Pack for corporate customers), and the MVNO. Content relationships are deep: Warner Bros. Discovery (comprehensive exclusive SVOD plus Max hosting), NBCUniversal, Paramount, Universal Music, Moonbug, and Korean agency CUBE Entertainment. The company is led by President and Representative Director Tsutsumi Tenshin (堤 天心); TBS acquired a 20% stake in the parent USEN Holdings in 2023, anchoring a strategic capital and content alliance.
U-Next firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- U-Next
- Legal name
- 株式会社U-NEXT
- Website
- https://unext.co.jp
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
U-Next industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Subscription Video on Demand (SVOD)
- NAICS
- Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (51621)
- SIC
- Cable & Other Pay Television Services (4841), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822)
- akta.pro primary industry
- General Entertainment SVOD Platforms (MPACAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Digital Content & Media Subscriptions (CRAFAIAA), Video Streaming Platforms (SVOD/AVOD/TVOD) (BPAMAJAA)
Keywords
Where U-Next is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tokyo
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
U-Next business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- SVOD Subscription: Monthly subscription service providing unlimited access to video content library including movies, dramas, anime, sports, and live events. Members receive 1,200 U-NEXT points monthly that can be used for rentals, purchases, or U-NEXT MOBILE data.
- A la carte Rental/Purchase: Individual titles available for rental (typically 999-1,200 yen for 2-3 days) or permanent purchase. Includes new releases and premium content.
- U-NEXT MOBILE MVNO Service: Mobile data service bundled with video subscription at 2,489 yen/month for 30GB (increased from 20GB). Uses 1,200 U-NEXT points to reduce additional charge to 300 yen.
- Sports Pack Subscriptions: Specialized content packs including soccer (Premier League, La Liga), golf (PGA Tour, major championships), tennis (ATP Tour), UFC, and other sports content.
- Original Publications: U-NEXT Original books, comics, and audiobooks available through U-NEXT Publishing brand.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Standard U-NEXT subscription with video streaming and 1,200 monthly points |
| Subscription | Monthly | U-NEXT MOBILE 30GB MVNO plan (formerly 20GB) |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Movie rental (e.g., バナ穴 BANA_ANA) |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Shark film rentals |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Sports/event viewing (e.g., Kis-My-Ft2 live) |
| Subscription | Monthly | Sports content packs (soccer, golf, tennis) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels5 records
U-Next product offering
Product offeringCore offering
U-NEXT operates a subscription-based video-on-demand (SVOD) streaming platform offering movies, dramas, anime, documentaries, sports, and live events to Japanese consumers. The service combines video streaming with integrated e-books, audiobooks, and comics under one monthly subscription, supplemented by a la carte rentals and purchases. The platform also offers U-NEXT MOBILE, an MVNO service bundling mobile data with the video subscription.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- U-NEXT Kids: Children's entertainment content service offering original titles and curated content for kids
- U-NEXT Publishing
- U-NEXT Comic
- U-NEXT MOBILE
- U-NEXT Asia ONLINE STORE
Products and services
- U-NEXT SVOD Streaming Subscription
- U-NEXT MOBILE
- U-NEXT Kids
Quantifiable outcome
- 2 million+ paid subscribers
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use U-Next
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
U-Next technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration11 records
Feature4 records
U-Next partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
23 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- RakutencoreCo-branded 'Rakuten最強U-NEXT' plan offering unlimited data with U-NEXT subscription.
- Warner Bros. DiscoverycoreComprehensive exclusive SVOD partnership for Warner Bros. films within one year of theatrical release through HBO Max partnership. Also provides platform hosting for Max streaming service within U-NEXT. Partnership expanded multiple times including distribution of Japanese content globally on HBO Max.
- Premier Leaguecore7-year partnership agreement for exclusive distribution of English Premier League soccer content in Japan. Includes 'Soccer Pack' B2B offering.
- Universal MusiccoreComprehensive distribution agreement for music content, enabling U-NEXT to offer extensive music streaming and live event content.
- PGA TourcoreDomestic distribution partner for the world's largest golf tour, including exclusive coverage of major championships.
- ATP TourcoreExclusive domestic distribution partner for men's tennis tour.
- UFCcoreMulti-year domestic distribution partnership for mixed martial arts content in Japan.
- ONE ChampionshipcorePartnership agreement for martial arts organization content distribution.
- Professional Fighters League (PFL)coreExclusive domestic partnership agreement for PFL combat sports content.
- Apple (Vision Pro)coreFirst Japanese streaming service compatible with Apple Vision Pro.
- TV TokyocoreStrategic business partnership for content distribution including international table tennis and WTT Finals.
- Paramount Global Content DistributioncoreExpanded licensing agreement for content distribution in Japan.
- Moonbug EntertainmentminorPartnership for children's entertainment content.
- ParavicoreIntegration of streaming platform Paravi with U-NEXT.
- GooglecoreOne of first companies globally to integrate Google Media CDN for streaming delivery.
- WarnerMedia (HBO)coreInitial exclusive SVOD partnership for HBO and HBO Max original content in Japan.
- NBCUniversalcoreContent license agreement including DreamWorks Animation titles with some exclusive releases.
- All Major TV ManufacturerscoreU-NEXT button integrated into TV remotes from all major manufacturers.
- CUBE EntertainmentminorBusiness partnership with Korean entertainment agency for Korean content.
- Southern All Stars (SAS)minorLaunch of live music distribution starting with Southern All Stars concerts.
- Toshiba (REGZA)coreU-NEXT button on Toshiba REGZA TV remote controls.
- Sony (BRAVIA)coreU-NEXT button integrated into Sony BRAVIA 4K TV remote controls.
- LDH JAPANminorOperation of 'LDH TV' streaming channel for LDH artists content.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
U-Next competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Netflix: Global SVOD leader with a major and growing presence in Japan, offering comparable subscription video streaming for movies, dramas, anime, and original productions to overlapping Japanese consumer segments.
- Disney+: Global SVOD service with Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, and Star-branded general entertainment content competing for the same Japanese SVOD subscriber base as U-NEXT.
- Amazon Prime Video: Global SVOD service bundled into Amazon Prime in Japan; competes directly with U-NEXT on movies, drama, and live sports rights and shares an overlapping Japanese consumer audience.
- DAZN: Global sports-focused subscription streaming service active in Japan; directly competes with U-NEXT's sports packs (Premier League, golf, tennis, combat sports) for live-sports subscribers.
- Apple TV+: Subscription streaming service from Apple offering originals and licensed films and series; competes for premium Japanese subscribers and shares device/ecosystem distribution patterns with U-NEXT.
- Lemino (NTT Docomo): NTT Docomo-operated SVOD offering entertainment, sports, and anime in Japan with mobile-bundle distribution; competes head-to-head with U-NEXT across content and bundled distribution.
- Hulu Japan: Japan-focused SVOD offering movies, dramas, and anime, operated by Nippon TV; directly competes with U-NEXT on general entertainment subscription streaming in Japan.
- ABEMA (CyberAgent): Japanese ad-supported and hybrid streaming platform offering dramas, anime, and live content; directly competes with U-NEXT for Japanese general entertainment and live-event viewers.
Broad incumbents
- WOWOW: Japanese premium pay-TV and SVOD operator offering premium movies, dramas, sports, and music content; overlaps with U-NEXT's premium content positioning and Japanese subscriber base.
- Rakuten TV / Rakuten最强U-NEXT: Rakuten's broader streaming and video ecosystem, which co-markets 'Rakuten最强U-NEXT' and competes indirectly with U-NEXT via cross-platform content and bundled mobile offerings in Japan.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
U-Next social profiles
Digital presenceU-Next financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
U-Next leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
U-Next funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
U-Next M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about U-Next
What does U-Next do?
U-NEXT operates a subscription-based video-on-demand (SVOD) streaming platform offering movies, dramas, anime, documentaries, sports, and live events to Japanese consumers. The service combines video streaming with integrated e-books, audiobooks, and comics under one monthly subscription, supplemented by a la carte rentals and purchases. The platform also offers U-NEXT MOBILE, an MVNO service bundling mobile data with the video subscription.
Is U-Next a public or private company?
U-Next is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was U-Next founded?
U-Next was founded in 2007. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is U-Next based?
U-Next is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does U-Next make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. SVOD Subscription is the primary driver. The others are A la carte Rental/Purchase, U-NEXT MOBILE MVNO Service, sports Pack Subscriptions and original Publications.
Who are U-Next's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, DAZN, Apple TV+, Lemino (NTT Docomo), Hulu Japan and ABEMA (CyberAgent). Broad incumbents are WOWOW and Rakuten TV / Rakuten最强U-NEXT.
Does U-Next have an API?
No public API is recorded for U-Next.
What industry is U-Next in?
U-Next's product category is Subscription Video on Demand (SVOD). Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPACAAAA, General Entertainment SVOD Platforms, with a secondary code of CRAFAIAA, Digital Content & Media Subscriptions. Its NAICS code is 516210 and its SIC code is 4841.