Nippon launches digital arm to create Hulu shows

Japanese commercial broadcaster Nippon TV is launching a digital division that will create programming for its newly acquired Hulu Japan on-demand platform.

The Cyber Business Strategy (CBS) division will integrate Nippon’s TV and internet businesses, and house Hulu and JoinTV, which is billed as a programme-linked social interaction viewing service.

The unit will create programming for Hulu Japan, with second screen and data broadcasting technologies used to support it. Hulu Japan chairman Hiroyuki Oho will lead the CBS.

“As part of this new division, we are looking to expand our internet-related businesses to include venture investments and M&A, as well as to foster relationships and develop a completely new business that integrates TV and the Internet,” said the CBS’s Oho.

This comes after Nippon acquired SVOD platform Hulu Japan from its US broadcaster parents in February. Hulu Japan would prove to be the only attempt made at international expansion of the Hulu service and the US-original is now a domestic-only platform.

“We also plan to bring together companies and students to create a laboratory that becomes a centre for business development, while strengthening our focus on monetisation and further supporting our ad sales division.”

Hulu Japan launched in September 2011. It currently has around 50 content partners and more than 13,000 drama series and movies.