Dentsu Casting and Entertainment

What Dentsu Casting and Entertainment does

Dentsu Casting and Entertainment (株式会社 電通キャスティングアンドエンタテインメント), founded October 1, 2000, is a Tokyo-based talent casting and entertainment services firm operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dentsu Group Inc. with ¥490 million in registered capital. The company provides end-to-end casting services for Japanese television commercials, films, dramas, animation voice acting, international dubbing, events, and influencer/social media campaigns for major enterprise clients across financial services, consumer electronics, food and beverage, watches, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, manufacturing, and wellness verticals (named clients include Mizuho Financial Group, Fujifilm, Ajinomoto AGF, Seiko, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Factory, JCB, Meiji, Kanebo, NGK, Earth Pharmaceutical, and Relive).

The company's core technology platform is TA-GET, a proprietary talent database of approximately 30,000 registered profiles updated daily with talent attributes, social media follower counts, and advertising/contract history, integrated with BitStar's database of approximately 350,000 influencers providing cross-platform metrics across YouTube, X, Instagram, and TikTok. Complementing this platform, DCE bundles an industry-first talent cancellation insurance (covering COVID-19, influenza, typhoon, and severe-weather production shutdowns) provided free to clients, and a dedicated business administration team handling contracts and legal execution.

DCE generates revenue primarily through professional services (casting commissions) negotiated on a per-engagement basis; pricing is not publicly disclosed. The firm operates as a B2B enterprise service provider with direct sales to corporate clients and implicit pipeline leverage from Dentsu Group's broader client base. As of April 2026, the company had 107 employees across its Tokyo headquarters and Kansai (Osaka) regional office. Its 2024 Emmy Award win (Drama Series Casting for SHOGUN) and subsequent 2026 leadership transition (Atoda Satoshi appointed President) coincided with a strategic expansion into Business Co-creation activities spanning IP/character development and AI-driven new entertainment services.

Name

Dentsu Casting and Entertainment

Legal name

株式会社 電通キャスティングアンドエンタテインメント

Website

https://dentsucasting.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Dentsu Casting and Entertainment is a Tokyo-based talent casting agency, wholly owned by Dentsu Group, providing end-to-end casting services for TV commercials, films/dramas, and influencer campaigns to major Japanese corporations via its proprietary TA-GET database of approximately 30,000 profiles.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Talent Casting Services

NAICS

Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (71141), Advertising Agencies (541810), Advertising Agencies (54181)

SIC

Services-Advertising (7310), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Talent Casting & Auditions (Casting Directors, Open Calls) (HSACAHAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Production & Talent Services (Casting, Crew, Production Management) (MPAAAMAF), Casting & Talent Services (Casting, Background, Talent Holding) (MPADAFAI), Celebrity & Influencer Talent Booking (HSACAHAE), Influencer Sourcing & Casting (Discovery/Shortlisting) (MPAAAHAC), Dubbing & Voiceover Production (Casting, Recording, Lip-Sync) (MPAHAFAB)

Keywords

• Talent casting services
• Advertising casting agency
• Influencer casting services
• Talent database platform
• Entertainment casting services

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Casting Services for Advertisements: Core business providing talent casting services for TVCM, events, and promotional campaigns. Services include talent proposal, negotiation with talent agencies, contract management, and production support through completion.
2. Movie and Drama Casting: Casting services for films, dramas, animation voice acting, and international dubbing. Services extend to casting actors, musicians, athletes, and overseas talent for domestic and international productions.
3. Influencer Casting: Casting services for influencers and social media talents. Includes planning and production support for video and image content.
4. Business Co-creation: Collaborative development of IP, character rights, AI-driven services, and new business models in partnership with Dentsu Group and external companies for next-generation entertainment.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Dentsu Casting and Entertainment provides professional casting services for TV commercials, films, dramas, and influencer marketing campaigns for advertising agencies and direct corporate clients in Japan. The company also offers business co-creation services and operates the proprietary TA-GET talent database (around 30,000 profiles) integrated with the BitStar influencer database (around 350,000 influencers), plus the industry's first talent cancellation insurance product.

Product overview

Dentsu Casting and Entertainment operates as a comprehensive casting services provider organized around a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core offering centers on the TA-GET proprietary talent database platform (approximately 30,000 registered profiles) which powers four main service lines: Advertisement casting for TVCM and events, Movie/TV Drama casting for films and series, and Influencer casting leveraging an additional partnership with BitStar's database of approximately 350,000 influencers. Complementary modules include the industry-first Talent Cancellation Insurance covering production stoppages due to COVID-19, weather, or illness, and Business Administration services providing legal and contract management support. The company also engages in Business Co-creation initiatives involving IP development and AI-powered new service development with dentsu group partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Advertisement Casting Service

Quantifiable outcome

• Japan's first Emmy Award win in Casting category for drama series (SHOGUN) demonstrating international casting excellence

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• 株式会社BitStarcoreTechnology or IntegrationDatabase integration partnership providing access to BitStar's influencer database of approximately 350,000 registered influencers. DCE's TA-GET system integrates BitStar's data including YouTube, X, Instagram, TikTok metrics such as posting genres, follower demographics, and average engagement rates for cross-platform influencer casting services.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Oscar Promotion: Established Japanese talent agency with strong celebrity roster across entertainment and advertising. Directly comparable as a competitor for TVCM and brand campaign casting in the Japanese market.
• Stardust Promotion: Large Japanese talent agency representing actors, models, musicians, and athletes. Comparable to DCE as a casting source for advertising campaigns and entertainment productions across Japan.
• Ken-On (Ken-On Group): Japanese talent agency managing high-profile actors used in major TVCM and film productions. Comparable to DCE as a competitor for premium celebrity casting in Japanese advertising and entertainment productions.
• Watanabe Entertainment: Major Japanese entertainment company managing actors, musicians, voice actors, and sports talent. Comparable to DCE for casting services spanning advertising, film, drama, and voice acting — including dubbing work where DCE also operates.
• Horipro (Hori Agency): One of Japan's largest integrated talent agencies representing actors, musicians, and TV personalities. Directly comparable as a competitor for celebrity talent acquisition and casting services across Japanese advertising and entertainment, though with a much larger talent roster and broader entertainment production capabilities.
• Burning Production: A major Japanese talent agency with deep celebrity rosters used extensively in TVCM and entertainment productions. Comparable to DCE as a competitor for top-tier celebrity casting in Japanese advertising campaigns.

Broad incumbents

• United Talent Agency (UTA): Global talent and entertainment agency representing actors, directors, writers, and digital creators worldwide. Comparable to DCE as a high-end casting intermediary for international productions, though operating at much larger scale and global scope.
• Creative Artists Agency (CAA): Largest global talent agency with deep Hollywood and international entertainment connections. Comparable to DCE as the type of established international casting intermediary that DCE aspires to compete with at the global production level following the SHOGUN Emmy recognition.

Emerging players

• BitStar: Japanese influencer platform and MCN with approximately 350,000 registered influencers across YouTube, X, Instagram, and TikTok. Comparable to DCE's influencer casting offering and currently a data integration partner, making it both a collaborator and potential competitor.
• UUUM: Japan's leading YouTube MCN and influencer marketing company. Comparable to DCE's influencer casting vertical as a competitor for digital creator talent sourcing and influencer campaign production for Japanese brands.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Dentsu Casting and Entertainment