Ninja Warrior heads to the Middle East

Japan’s Tokyo Broadcasting System Television has inked a pan-Middle East deal for its Sasuke, the physical gameshow better known internationally as Ninja Warrior.

Japanese broadcaster TBS struck the Middle East deal with the Banader Gulf Company, which has exclusive regional format rights across 17 territories.

The deal also gives Saudi-based Banader Gulf regional rights to finished Ninja Warrior programmes including Ninja Warrior and American Ninja Warrior.

Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud, chairman of Banader Gulf, signed the Ninja Warrior deal. “We are very excited about bringing this very successful program to the Arabic world at a time when fitness is a priority to the governments and people in our region,” he said.

“And with the year being the sixtieth anniversary of the start of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Japan, it seems especially poignant that we are embarking on this project with the help of TBS.”

TBS’s Media Business Division President Masashi Nakao added: “We are very happy that we have reached this agreement with Banader Gulf Company as it is a giant step forward to realise the locally produced version in the region.”