Netflix acquires rights to 30 Japanese titles from Nippon TV

The streaming giant Netflix is in plans to expand its Asian market. It has made a deal with the Japanese broadcaster Nippon TV. The broadcaster unveiled the 30-title series licensing deal on the first day of TIFFCOM today. TIFFCOM is the leading content marketplace in India affiliated to the Tokyo International Film Festival. The deal offers the OTT player online rights to these shows for its Asian markets outside Japan. This is the first time that the Japanese broadcaster has made a deal with Netflix.  

Their partnership began in October with the streamer already showcasing 15 of its series, said Nippon TV to The Hollywood Reporter. These 15 series include the 2011 hit drama I’m Mita, Your Housekeeper, and Death Note and Tokyo Tarareba Girls, the popular series adaptations of the Japanese mangas. In November, the streamer will add 15 more Nippon TV titles. The dramas that will go live on Netflix include Mr. Hiiragi’s Homeroom, Your Turn to Kill, and Life’s Punchline; and hit variety shows The Quest and vintage contest format Masquerade. 

Nippon TV is the owner of Hulu Japan. It bought the business in 2014 and continues to license content from the US-based global Hulu brand. Hulu Japan is the rival to Netflix and which is why probably these titles got rights to stream on Netflix in markets outside Japan. The portal further quoted Keisuke Miyata, head of international business development at Nippon TV as saying, “Coupled with Netflix’s strength as one of the world’s leading streaming platforms, we are confident that Nippon TV’s titles will be well received by viewers in this prominent new territory for us.”