Media Business
Growth Strategy
We view the media business as a highly profitable business model in the internet industry. In 2004, we launched "Ameba," which has become Japan's largest blogging service, and in 2016, we launched "ABEMA," the TV for the future, and have been aggressively investing in content production and sourcing to increase our media presence.
Formation of New Businesses and Group Synergies
ABEMA's primary sources of revenue are advertising and subscriptions. We also expand peripheral businesses by leveraging their customer-attracting power and advanced technology.
WINTICKET, an online betting service for cycle and auto racing, was a latecomer to the market, but its high affinity with ABEMA and its marketing capabilities have helped it to achieve the top share in online cycle race betting. It is also working to increase the number of new users by leveraging ABEMA's streaming technology to provide unique cycle racing videos.
Other initiatives include ABEMA PPV, a pay-per-view service that allows users to enjoy concerts and mixed martial arts (MMA) events; our Entertainment Division that specializes in entertainment shows such as "Creator Dream Fes - produced by Com.," which tickets for the Tokyo Dome concert were sold out; and Cyber Goods Store, our official online store that sells original products are also exhancing our business.
We are also actively engaged in the IP business that includes content studio BABEL LABEL, to which Michito Fujii and other up-and-coming creators belong. In order to pursue a media franchise strategy, Nelke Planning Co., Ltd., a stage production company that is a top runner in 2.5D musicals; and Nitroplus Co., Ltd., which produces content in a wide range of genres such as games, anime, novels, and illustrations such as the "Touken Ranbu" IP are taking part.
Using our ability to generate a diverse range of services as a competitive advantage, we will continue to monetize our media business by leveraging the group's synergies, with ABEMA playing a central role.
* SGE: The collective name of the gaming subsidiaries and entertainment units of CyberAgent group, excluding Cygames.
【Copyrights】
"Touken Ranbu" : ©2015 EXNOA LLC/NITRO PLUS
Driving Our Media Business Toward High Growth and High Profitability
Takahiro Yamauchi
Director COO, AbemaTV, Inc.
After launching our advertising and esports businesses, I began working on our new entertainment business in 2017, including investing in the anime fund associated with ABEMA, developing fan community apps, and establishing an event business. Following that, in September 2023, I was appointed Director and Chief Operating Officer of AbemaTV, Inc.
In my first year in the position, I held one-on-one meetings with many members, not just key personnel, to identify organizational challenges and work on solving them. Management at CyberAgent places great importance on its people, and we believe that our human resources are the source of our competitive advantage in media operations. I believe it is especially important to fully draw out the creativity of our human talent, as it directly impacts the quality of our services and our technological capabilities. That's why we introduced the General Manager System which works to encourage many employees to take initiative and prepare for further business and organizational expansion by giving the young talents more decision-making experience.
Marking its 8th anniversary this year, ABEMA has surpassed 30 million* weekly viewers. With strengths in high-quality and stable streaming, as well as convenience that isn't limited by time or location, we feel that it has become an essential part of daily life.
We have also been working to strengthen monetization, develop new advertising products, and have implemented new revenue models for events that combine digital and real-world elements.
In terms of the anime business, anime has been a very popular genre on ABEMA since the beginning. To further leverage this strengths, we have been gradually developing relationships with content holders and production companies by offering unique marketing and other benefits that only ABEMA, with its free platform, can provide.
We are also looking to expand our works that we serve as a lead manager in the production committees while gaining extensive experience in rights management and production processes, including investments in popular anime like "Oshi no Ko" and "Jujutsu Kaisen." Hit anime projects can lead to multi-layered revenue streams, such as sales of overseas video rights, games, goods, and events. As such, we view them as a major business opportunity and remain committed.
In the medium to long term, we have also started creating original anime IPs with a view to future games based on them, similar to the multimedia franchise of "Umamusume: Pretty Derby." CyberAgent, including its group companies, has the ability to create IPs as well as to monetize them. We will continue to strengthen synergies across the media business by leveraging ABEMA's ability to attract customers and strive to build a highly profitable business model.
* Weekly viewership from Monday, September 9, 2024 to Sunday, September 15, 2024.
[Copyrights]
"Oshi no Ko" ©Aka Akasaka x Mengo Yokoyari/Shueisha, "OSHI NO KO" Partners
"Jujutsu Kaisen" © Gege Akutami; Shueisha/Jujutsu Kaisen Production Committee © Sumzap, Inc./TOHO CO., LTD.
"Umamusume: Pretty Derby" © Cygames, Inc.
FEATURE STORY The Current State of ABEMA
Expanding as Social Infrastructure with 30 Million WAUs*1
ABEMA is a video streaming service that aims to reinvent television and is being developed as the TV of the future. Starting from scratch in 2016, this year marks its ninth anniversary.
With over 20 years of experience in providing internet services, we believe that it is possible to monetize media that attracts customers, which is why we have made Weekly Active Users (WAU) the Key Performance Indicator (KPI) for ABEMA.
We also continually improve our technological capabilities to realize rapid development while ensuring high quality video streaming.
During the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 streams in November 2022, we were able to provide stable video streaming while maintaining the highest number of simultaneous internet connections ever achieved in Japan. Due in part to ABEMA's distinctive viewing experience, which included multi-angle video, WAU surpassed 30 million during the event, the highest in streaming history, and generated significant awareness.
Even since then, the number of WAUs has remained high, reaching around 30 million in FY2024. ABEMA's viewership is growing, and it is becoming known as a social infrastructure that is accessible anytime, anywhere.
*1 WAU: Weekly Active Users
*2 The number of weekly active users from Monday September 9, 2024, to Sunday, September 15, 2024.
ABEMA Features
ABEMA aspires to be the TV for the future with free live streaming, simultaneous feeds, news coverage, and convenience, setting it apart from the crowd of competing video streaming services. It offers around 25 channels and is available for free 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Viewing is almost evenly split between linear viewing (52%) and on-demand viewing (48%), and is accessible via a wide range of devices, including smartphones, PCs, tablets, and TVs. ABEMA offers a viewing experience that adapts to the viewer's lifestyle rather than being tied to a specific time or place.
Popular Genres on ABEMA Below are the four most popular genres on ABEMA with high WAU.
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Anime
Anime has been a consistent fan favorite since ABEMA's launch. In addition to its extensive anime lineup with 10 channels currently available, this lineup also offers special programs, voice actor programs, and other content that connects anime works with its viewers, and it has received widespread support from anime fans. In addition to the advance streaming of new anime, we are currently working on the launch of an official free anime channel. By investing from the production stage of anime works, ABEMA is engaged in several initiatives that only ABEMA can accomplish.
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Sports
ABEMA offers streaming of a wide range of sports. These include free live streaming of Major League Baseball (MLB) and, for the first time in Japan's history, UEFA EURO 2024, the next biggest soccer tournament after the FIFA World Cup, as well as sumo wrestling, K-1 and professional wrestling. ABEMA delivers a sports viewing experience that only it can provide, thanks in part to its stable and high-quality video streaming and unique features. Since June 2023, we have been strengthening strategic alliances to expand sports content, which tends to have exorbitant procurement costs. Our partnerships with KDDI Corporation and content delivery through "ABEMA de DAZN," "ABEMA de WOWSPO (trade name: WOWSPO)," and "ABEMA de J SPORTS" allow our viewers to enjoy the best sports the world has to offer. We will continue to grow the sports industry by communicating the appeal of sports at home and abroad.
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Press and News
We offer a dedicated news channel that streams 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The unique advantages of our internet services, with the ability to fluidly structure and program the channel to include news during disasters and press conferences of public interest, have evolved into a one-of-a-kind service that plays an essential role in the social infrastructure. ABEMA has successfully built up many viewers that thinks to "check ABEMA first" whenever something happens.
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Original Programming
Aiming to create the highest quality, world-class content, we produce original works ranging from variety to dating reality to drama with our unique approach to capturing trends. In line with this strategy, we have formed a strategic partnership with Netflix and strengthen our production capabilities through our consolidated subsidiary, BABEL LABEL Inc., and other talented external creators.