P.11 Message from the President of TBS TELEVISION, INC. (1)

Message from the President of TBS TELEVISION, INC. Message from the President Strengthening and Expanding the Media Value of Television

Masamine Ryuho

Vice President and Representative Director, TBS HOLDINGS, INC. President and Representative Director, TBS TELEVISION, INC.

A wave spreading from the National Stadium to the world: The power of television

In September 2025, a thunderous roar reverberated through- out the Japan National Stadium. At the “World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25,” the world’s top athletes gathered to compete at the highest level. To bring the excitement of those intense competitions to as many people as possible, the TBS Group mobilized all its resources. The previous World Athletics Championships took place in August 2023 in the historic city of Budapest, Hungary. In Europe, where track and field is hugely popular, the stadium was packed to its full ca- pacity of over 30,000 spectators. The passionate crowd cheered on the athletes, and when Haruka Kitaguchi came from behind with her final throw to win the women’s javelin gold medal, we were filled with a strong determination to create an event that would surpass the Budapest Championships. To achieve this at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25, we set three goals: 1. Fill the National Stadium to capacity throughout all nine days of competition. 2. Turn the “World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25” into a social phenomenon and maximize the use of its content. 3. Deliver an overwhelming sense of satisfaction to viewers and spectators. Our aim was not simply to broadcast the event, but to make TBS the catalyst for a social phenomenon and showcase Japan’s energy to the world. Setting these goals was one thing. Achieving them was an- other. The National Stadium is a huge venue with a 70,000-seat capacity—far larger than the venue in Budapest. For two years, members from various departments across the company, not just those in the TV Sports Division responsible for broadcast production, met every week to discuss two questions: “How can we fill this stadium?” and “What can we do to turn this into a social phenomenon?” Our first priority was to build momentum for the Championships. Led by our Design Center, we created a sophisticated key visual built around purple. Based on this visual, we worked with elementary school stu- dents in Minato City to create the official mascot “Riku One.” Meanwhile, many of the people involved in our variety shows, and news and information programs introduced the appeal of the Championships and the individual events in their own words. This cross-departmental “Team TBS” showcased the appeal of track and field on many popular programs, building viewers’ desire to watch the Championships. This unified effort became a driving force behind filling the National Stadium to capacity, drawing a cumulative total of 620,000 spectators over the nine days. As athletes raced around the track, the packed stands shook with excitement as waves of spectators rose to cheer them on. In response, the athletes pushed beyond their limits, delivering extraordinary performances. The stadium was filled with an extraordinary sense of excitement. Furthermore, through our JNN Network partners, a cumulative total of near- ly 80 million viewers nationwide watched the Championships through our broadcasts. It was a moment when our vision of “moving the hearts of viewers across Japan through the power of television” became a reality. The electrifying atmosphere in the stadium and the energy that spread across Japan through our broadcasts were clearly fueled by our efforts and the power of television. At that mo- ment, I became convinced once again that “television still has the power to captivate people on this scale and move society.” I also became convinced that by believing in the media value of television and continuing to expand it, we can contribute even more to society. With this strong conviction, I renewed my determination to drive this business forward. →P33 11