David Blecken
Mar 28, 2018

Dentsu acquires Asia rights to Captain Tsubasa TV series

The company plans to use the football-themed content property to develop sports marketing opportunities.

Dentsu plans to form partnerships with football associations across Asia and Oceania (Screen capture from TV-series trailer)
Dentsu plans to form partnerships with football associations across Asia and Oceania (Screen capture from TV-series trailer)

Dentsu has acquired exclusive programme distribution, merchandising and advertising rights in Asia and Oceania for the 2018 TV series of Captain Tsubasa, an animated content franchise.

The deal excludes Japan but covers 55 markets, including China and India. It strengthens Dentsu’s foothold in the content business, which rival ADK has also outlined as a key area for development both in Japan and internationally. Captain Tsubasa, which is about football, comprises animation, manga and video games.

The agencies see major potential to connect content properties and regular client business. For the most part, the two areas are currently treated as separate businesses.

In a statement, Dentsu said it plans to use Captain Tsubasa to promote sports and form partnerships with football associations to create sports marketing opportunities with sponsors.

Dentsu said its proprietary Japan Brand Survey from 2017 showed relatively high awareness of Captain Tsubasa internationally, reaching around 70% in Hong Kong and Indonesia.

Source:
Campaign Japan

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