Nippon Television Network Corporation (Nippon TV), currently ranked as the #1 TV broadcaster in Japan for the past three consecutive years, is proud to announce that its popular quiz format Ultimate Brain (12 x 60’) is hitting the airwaves for a second season in both Belgium (VRT Ketnet) and The Netherlands (NPO Zapp). Sputnik Media finalized the deal for both territories.
“It is a great honor to have the second season of the Ultimate Brain format, one of Nippon TV’s most esteemed titles, produced and aired in Belgium and The Netherlands,” commented Mr. Atsushi Hatayama, President of International Business Development, Nippon TV. “The two countries will join the United Kingdom and China in broadcasting more than one season and I look forward to the day when this one-of-a-kind quiz show is available and enjoyed the world over.”
“Currently, our scripted drama format ANNE/MOTHER is a mega hit in Turkey, where our other original drama WOMAN – My Life For My Children – is on its way to equal success. The legendary Nippon TV business show format Dragons’ Den/Shark Tank has also continued to entertain viewers in many countries and territories,” added Hatayama. “Nippon TV’s scripted and non-scripted format sales have reached fever pitch and during the Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF), we look forward to sharing Ultimate Brain as well as many of our other titles.”
The Ultimate Brain format boasts an impressive international track record, with a localized version airing in China concurrent to the Belgian and Dutch versions. It has also enjoyed high acclaim in the United Kingdom, where three seasons have aired on CBBC (Children’s BBC). The format is distributed by Nippon TV in Japan, Brunei, China (incl. Hong Kong and Macau), Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Eccho Rights distributes the format in all other countries and territories.
“We have just launched the second season of Ultimate Brain in Belgium and Holland and again, the ratings are exceeding our expectations,” commented Rutger Beckers, Managing partner, Sputnik Media. “I love the format because - through an entertainment show - it nurtures children's curiosity for science and technology. These are valuable skills and mindsets to acquire, wherever the kids go next in life. And on top of that, it's big fun to produce this show.”
ABOUT ULTIMATE BRAIN
Nippon TV’s popular quiz format Ultimate Brain is a scientific experiment edutainment program that pushes creative and spontaneous thinking abilities to the limit. Challengers split into teams and compete against each other to answer science-themed questions that are like nothing you’ve ever seen. To succeed, they need more than just smarts—intuition and rational thinking are the keys to victory.
ABOUT NIPPON TV
Nippon TV is recognized as Japan’s viewer ratings champion having topped all timeslot categories for three consecutive years and garnering the largest profits in the country’s broadcasting industry. One of the biggest successes for the nation’s finest producer of all genres of programming is Dragons’ Den, a globally successful business show format that has sold into more than 30 territories including the UK, Canada, Australia, Russia, Germany, India, Italy and Nigeria. The Emmy award winning version, Shark Tank, airs in the US. Following closely is the success of Mother, a scripted format that has become a big hit in Turkey and has sold into many territories around the world. With well-established companies that deal in a broad range of businesses from animation, movies, events, to fitness clubs, Nippon TV is leveraging its coveted platform to revolutionize digital media in an ever-changing industry. Launching a channel in Southeast Asia named GEM through a joint venture with Sony Pictures Television Networks, and leading the digital content market through Hulu Japan, a subsidiary that boasts the largest SVOD subscriber base in the country, Nippon TV is steadily solidifying its presence and brand as a global media powerhouse.
