Abysmal viewer ratings for Pokémon anime series does not worry its broadcaster the slightest bit

After all, it’s been through worse before.

Japanese television station TV Tokyo celebrated the airing of its 1,000th Pokémon episode last year, and though it was an impressive milestone for both the anime and the station, viewership had actually taken a massive dip. Yet there’s a reason why the broadcaster is not panicking at all.

In the early days, TV Tokyo suffered from a constant lack of funds and staff shortage, not to mention having one of the lowest television ratings compared to other major stations. Then journalist Keisuke Iwata remembered being admonished by peers to use his wits instead of money to accomplish things. Large projects were not even considered due to tight budget.

The turning point came in 1992 when Keisuke read about popular children’s anime series Anpanman in the newspapers. The article reported that revenue generated from other sources such as merchandising rights and licenses actually surpassed profits gained solely from broadcasting. It ignited a passion in him that burned brightly to this day, and he swore to bestow dreams to children and revenue to his company through anime. He transferred from the journalism department to the film department the following year.

▼ Anpanman’s round face is perfect for selling all sorts of merchandise, including cookies.

The world of anime was a harsh one, however, as production costs for each 30-minute episode amounted to seven million yen (US$62,348), an exorbitant amount that TV Tokyo could ill-afford. Relying on toys and video sales for profit, the station begged advertising agencies and external anime production companies to lower their service charges.

The winds of change began to blow in 1993, when TV Tokyo decided to help work on an anime series that later took the world by storm in 1995: Neon Genesis Evangelion. The massive hit not only earned the station terrestrial and satellite TV rights, it also filled the company’s coffers and helped set the stage for its next undertaking.

The Pokémon anime series came along in April 1997, racking up a modest viewer rating of 10.2 percent at the start, then rapidly climbing to 17.1 percent after three months. By November that year, Ash Ketchum and his monster-catching adventures propelled ratings to 18.6 percent, the highest ever in TV Tokyo’s history.

▼ That momentum has in turn opened up a ton of opportunities.

Riding on the waves of success after those two were card-based anime Yu-Gi-Oh! and iconic ninja series Naruto, yet trouble seemed to be brewing on the horizon. Japan’s declining birth rate forced a reorganization of key broadcasters, and though TV Tokyo was already a major player in the industry by then, changing times shaped the company’s decision to focus efforts on anime.

As of September 2018, audience rating for the Pokémon anime series has dropped to a pitiful three percent. That might spell trouble for a relatively small broadcasting company like TV Tokyo when compared to giants like Nippon TV, but the company is determined to step away from the common belief that ratings are everything, keeping itself afloat with licensing rights and various collaborations.

TV Tokyo has come a long way from its humble beginnings struggling to make ends meet. Thanks to Anpanman, Evangelion and Pokémon, the broadcaster has been brought back from the brink and is sailing smooth in the rough waters of the broadcasting industry.

Source: Livedoor News via Hachima Kiko
Top image: PhotoAC

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