[July 18] The shock of 24.1 billion views on TikTok. The new main battlefield that FIFA's priority platform status forces upon broadcasters, and more
Listen to the highlights of the topic!, (Please note that there may be errors in the reading due to the use of AI voice.)
▶ The shock of 24.1 billion views on TikTok. The new main battlefield that FIFA's priority platform status forces upon broadcasters
Ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ final, TikTok summarized the excitement during the tournament along with data.
As FIFA's first “priority platform,” TikTok provided a new viewing experience through on-site coverage by 30 creator correspondents from 22 countries and interactive projects.
The total number of views for content related to the official @fifaworldcup account reached approximately 24.1 billion, and it gained 55 million new followers since January 2026.
Approximately 20 million videos were posted with related hashtags, and the number of posts for #FIFAWorldCup increased by approximately 1,400% compared to the 2022 tournament.
Such “priority platform agreements” represent a structure where social media formally encroaches upon the official relationship with the tournament that television stations have monopolized, and attention is focused on the future power dynamics between broadcasters and platforms, and whether this will become standard for other international sports events like the Olympics.
On the other hand, the total of 24.1 billion views is not a metric that can be compared side-by-side with television ratings.
Views of short-form videos count even a few seconds of contact as one view, so one must be careful about the “view count inflation” aspect, which does not reflect the quality or duration of viewing.
In terms of coverage, the form of individual creators acting as “correspondents” to conduct official interviews in place of journalists from news organizations has spread.
Creators based in Okinawa also participated from Japan, and the question is whether domestic broadcasting and sports coverage can adopt similar “official creator appointments.”
Furthermore, TikTok collaborated with major trading card company Panini on a digital card project that attracted approximately 95 million people, making it the largest campaign in the company's history.
There is still a large gap compared to the maturity of digital collectibles in Japan's sports IP business.
【Dinko's Comment】
The Japan Commercial Broadcasters Association once spent over a decade on the nationwide lifting of the ban on “catch-up streaming.”
During that period of caution, global sports IP has shifted its focus toward streaming-led models.
TikTok's status as a priority platform is likely an event that shows another main battlefield has been born outside the castle walls of broadcasting rights.
However, the figure of 24.1 billion is different from television ratings.
Rather than getting drunk on the size of the numbers, how can that passion be funneled back into one's own station's assets?
What is being questioned may be the ability to translate metrics.
▶ “Emotion Knight,” a 50:50 challenge by NTT and TBS, next-generation edutainment where telecommunications and broadcasting intersect in Akasaka
NTT and TBS Holdings plan to establish “e6 LLC” on August 8, 2026, a joint venture for a next-generation edutainment business that fosters the “ability to decide for oneself” in children of the AI era.
The investment ratio is 50% for each company.
What is noteworthy is that the top companies in two industries that have had little interaction until now—the largest telecommunications infrastructure provider and a key commercial broadcaster—are partnering with equal capital.
By combining NTT's technological and social implementation capabilities—such as the next-generation information and communication infrastructure 'IOWN' and the proprietary LLM 'tsuzumi 2'—with the content production, IP development, and media dissemination expertise cultivated by TBS, we aim to create a new market where technology and content converge.
At the core of this business is not the licensing of existing works, but an original IP built from scratch called 'Emotional Knight'.
With this worldview as the axis, the company envisions a multifaceted development including manga, animation, video, digital games, smartphone apps, trading card games, and even AI-powered experiential attractions.
This can be called a 'vertical integration of IP' strategy, where a single IP serves as the source for expansion into diverse media.
Approximately 1,000 children participated in the experience demonstration in March 2026, recording a satisfaction rate of 91.2%.
The two companies aim to implement new edutainment in the AI era, with an eye toward theme parks as well.
[Dinko's Comment]
For broadcasters, this partnership symbolizes a shift in focus from a business of 'broadcasting signals' to a business of 'selling spaces and experiences.'
TBS is proceeding with large-scale redevelopment of the Akasaka area, and the stage for the experience demonstration was also Akasaka.
If interpreted as laying the groundwork to connect IP with physical locations, this move is consistent.
On the other hand, for NTT, this is a perfect outlet for its domestic LLM 'tsuzumi 2.'
Children's entertainment serves as a showcase to refine and demonstrate proprietary technology in a safe environment, separate from the arena where general-purpose AI competes with overseas players.
It can be said that this is a partnership where the interests of both broadcasting and telecommunications intersect in Akasaka.
▶ DAZN to stream World Cup final for free, featuring Bieber and BTS. The day a match turns into a 'show'
DAZN will provide a free live stream of the main broadcast of the 'FIFA World Cup 2026' final, Spain vs. Argentina, kicking off at 4:00 AM on July 20.
Commentary will be provided by Atsuto Uchida and Michihiro Yasuda from the New York/New Jersey Stadium, and Japan national team manager Hajime Moriyasu is scheduled to appear pre-game, at halftime, and post-game.
What is noteworthy is the two-stage revenue design that permeates this broadcast.
While opening up the world's highest-level match for free to attract a wide audience, for paid subscribers, they are offering 'Party Live,' a 'datatainment' stream that displays real-time stats such as shot speed, player distance covered, and player positioning on the screen.
It can be called a freemium design that uses free broadcasting as an entrance to guide viewers toward paid viewing. Hiroyuki Yabe and Yuka Kageyama will appear on 'Party Live'.
Furthermore, DAZN will stream the first-ever full World Cup final halftime show.
The 11-minute show, featuring Justin Bieber, Madonna, Shakira, and BTS, with production by Coldplay's Chris Martin, will also include appearances by 'Sesame Street' characters.
This show is part of an educational fund initiative to provide education and soccer opportunities to children around the world, aiming to raise a total of $100 million (approximately 15 billion yen).
This is an example showing the movement of match broadcasting expanding into a comprehensive entertainment event that bundles music, charity, and education.
[Dinko's Comment]
As soon as the stage for the final moved to the United States, the World Cup changed its attire from a 'match' to a 'show.'
The method of lining up global stars at halftime is clearly in the style of the Super Bowl.
In Europe, there is a deep-rooted culture where the match itself is the protagonist and side shows are kept modest, so there will likely be voices looking coldly at this over-production.
Nevertheless, this trinity model that bundles streaming, large-scale shows, and data is also the future form of viewing.
In Japanese sports broadcasting, live terrestrial broadcasts are still the main event, and streaming remains stuck in the position of a supplement for 'catch-up' viewing.
While the attitude of carefully delivering the match itself is a virtue, the North American way of 'earning'—widening the entrance with free streaming and connecting to billing through paid data features and large-scale shows—has not yet fully taken root.
It is not a binary choice between terrestrial or streaming, but rather how to combine both to design new revenue and viewing experiences.
The 2026 tournament seems to be posing that homework to the Japanese broadcasting and video industry.
▶ U-NEXT video streaming reaches 5.22 million paid users and 124.6 billion yen ARR; surpassing broadcasting to become an IP manufacturing industry
U-NEXT HOLDINGS Co., Ltd. (Code 9418) has announced its consolidated financial results for the third quarter of the fiscal year ending August 2026.
For the first three quarters, net sales reached 332.3 billion yen (up 17.2% year-on-year) and consolidated operating profit was 25.2 billion yen (up 4.2% year-on-year), both marking record highs.
The core content distribution business saw significant growth in both revenue and profit, with net sales of 107.6 billion yen (up 13% year-on-year) and operating profit of 9.0 billion yen (up 16% year-on-year).
The effects of content enhancement initiatives from the previous period have leveled off, and the narrowing of the gap in content cost ratios has led to improved profitability.
The number of paying users for the video streaming service 'U-NEXT' increased by 490,000 year-on-year to 5.22 million, achieving the full-year target.
While the number of subscribers from the integrated former Paravi service continues to decline each quarter, the U-NEXT platform itself is driving overall growth through steady net increases centered on exclusive distribution and live music streaming.
ARR (Annual Recurring Revenue) has also expanded to 124.6 billion yen.
Looking at the market as a whole, GEM Partners estimates that the domestic subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) market in 2025 will reach 601.7 billion yen, a 14.3% year-on-year increase, re-accelerating to double-digit growth.
Netflix remains the leader (27.1% share), while U-NEXT maintains second place with 17.1%.
On the other hand, even within paid video services, pay-TV services like WOWOW (2.36 million cumulative subscribers) and SKY PerfecTV! (approx. 2.56 million) continue to see net declines in subscribers due to the spread of streaming, showing a clear contrast in performance.
Recently, activities related to IP have been intensifying.
In June 2026, the company entered into a capital and business alliance with TBS Holdings and established a joint venture, 'Studio Monowa,' with the addition of South Korea's CJ ENM.
The goal is to handle Japanese and Korean IP in an integrated manner, from planning to production, distribution, and secondary development.
In addition, the company has made the anime production studio GoHands a wholly-owned subsidiary, advancing the construction of a vertically integrated model that connects distribution, publishing, and anime production.
The company views these moves as a way to create a multi-layered revenue structure and intends to cultivate them as pillars for sustainable growth.
【Dinko's Take】
The strength of U-NEXT lies in the fact that it is more than just a streaming provider that 'procures and broadcasts' content.
In the past, Japanese broadcasters, while creating excellent programs, were bound by programming slots and advertising, and lacked a mechanism to monetize IP globally.
This new framework with TBS and CJ ENM is an attempt to incorporate the 'integrated model from planning to secondary development' that South Korea pioneered into the Japanese market.
While WOWOW and SKY PerfecTV! struggle in the subscriber count race, U-NEXT has already shifted its main battlefield to the production and ownership of IP.
▶ Bieber and BTS appear, an 11-minute music festival at the World Cup final | Sound technology for dual defense to protect natural grass
On July 19, 2026, the first-ever halftime show in tournament history will be held at the FIFA World Cup final (Venue: New York/New Jersey Stadium, commonly known as MetLife Stadium).
The lineup is diverse, featuring Justin Bieber, Madonna, Shakira, BTS, Burna Boy, and an orchestra led by conductor Gustavo Dudamel, with music supervision by Coldplay's Chris Martin and direction by Hamish Hamilton, who has worked on past Super Bowls.
This signifies that the world soccer tournament has steered toward an NFL Super Bowl-style entertainment model of 'match + large-scale musical entertainment'.
It can be called a turning point in the strategy to maximize viewership, revenue, and brand value by gathering global stars on the biggest stage: the final.
However, the production hurdles are high, with a performance time of just 11 minutes. The highlights of six different artists must be realized within an extended 20-30 minute halftime, including stage setup and teardown.
Unlike the Super Bowl, which allows time to showcase one act, this requires a structure that hits with an ultra-high-density mega-mix.
Physical constraints cannot be overlooked either. The final venue is being converted from artificial turf to natural grass, and to avoid damaging the turf, sound equipment is being set up weeks in advance, and protective fabric is being laid over the pitch.
Balancing the preservation of the competitive environment with entertainment events is a point of reference for Japan, which also utilizes stadiums for multiple purposes.
The match is expected to see the highest viewership in history.
[Dinko's comment]
What is impressive about this technical design is the philosophy of thorough 'separation' and 'redundancy'.
The PA for the audience and the broadcast mix are set up as separate systems, and for the 11-minute show, the venue's permanent speakers are intentionally not used; instead, a dedicated line array is suspended from the ceiling.
Signals are routed via Dante through dual fiber-optic paths, with analog lines kept in reserve.
The communication system is also dual-redundant, with Riedel as the primary system and Clear-Com portable units as the secondary.
RF management in a congested radio environment surrounded by three international airports is truly a matter of months of negotiation.
Behind the flashy stars, such multi-layered defenses are built as a matter of course.
In the world of broadcasting and sound, the greatest compliment is summed up in the phrase, 'nothing happened'.