Advertisers Withdraw as Viewer Disengagement Hits With MUSIC

Nippon Television’s new show With MUSIC was launched with the goal of creating a genuine music program for the Reiwa era. The show features former news zero main anchor Yumiko Udo (55) and actor Kohei Matsushita (37) as hosts, aiming to become a flagship program. However, its debut has faced significant challenges.

Broadcast in the prime time slot on Saturdays as the successor to Sekaiichi Uketai Jugyo, the show debuted on April 13 with Hikaru Utada, celebrating her 25th anniversary, as a guest. Despite casting a diverse range of artists such as Shiina Ringo and YOASOBI, the average household rating has only reached 5.3%.

“With a seasoned producer overseeing the project and a well-prepared staff, the show has struggled with average household ratings in the 4% range. Particularly disappointing is the failure to meet Nippon TV’s focus on core ratings. Despite strict instructions to achieve outstanding core ratings, targeting viewers aged 13 to 49, the initial core rating was just 2.1%. It ranked fourth among private broadcasters, barely ahead of ‘TV Tokyo’s Degawa Tetsuro no Juuden Sasemoraemasen ka?’, which had only a 0.1% difference. The show has continued to struggle with no signs of recovery,” said a major advertising agency source.

In response to this situation, dissatisfaction has arisen even among artists. Within just two months of its launch, some artists have reportedly refused to participate, creating a complete cycle of negative feedback.

“The show was originally created to rival Music Station (TV Asahi), but the results have been starkly different. One reason for the low ratings is the criticism of the two hosts. On the June 15 broadcast, Shiina Ringo appeared, but Udo’s questions delved too much into Ringo’s personal life, which led to backlash on social media with comments like, ‘Don’t break Shiina Ringo’s mysterious atmosphere.’ While Udo may have wanted to highlight lesser-known aspects of Ringo, many viewers felt it was off-target,” said a TV magazine writer.

As a result of this ongoing situation, dissatisfaction within the network has begun to surface.

Faced with ongoing difficulties, there are already voices of resignation from the field. The sales department, in particular, has expressed even harsher opinions.

“The core ratings for the preceding program, ‘Aiba Masaki’s Animal Kingdom’ with Arashi’s Masaki Aiba as the host, remain stable. For example, on the day of ‘With MUSIC’ premiere, ‘Aiba Masaki’s Animal Kingdom’ had a core rating of 3.3%, with an average household rating in the 9% range. Even on its debut, ‘With MUSIC’ significantly dropped from the core rating of the preceding program, which directly impacts advertising rates.

In extreme cases, if the advertising rate for a slot is high, fewer commercials are needed. However, if ratings are poor and rates drop, more commercials need to be accommodated within the same slot. If this number becomes excessive, it can lead to a saturation point, and there is a very high possibility of this happening in the future. The sales department is reportedly struggling with the ongoing departure of the core audience,” said a source from the agency.

Given that this is a key new program for the network, an immediate cancellation is unlikely. However, October is also the time for reviewing large sponsor contracts, so the network is becoming increasingly restless.

“The casting power of the show remains impressive. On June 22, popular K-pop group NewJeans appeared, and shortly after returning from a famous outdoor festival in the U.S., Number_i was featured, along with other major artists each week. The higher-ups have instructed the staff to view it in the long term, and they believe that if the show’s high-quality line-up is absorbed by viewers, results will follow. Nevertheless, it’s also true that results are needed soon. It remains to be seen how much recovery can be made this summer. The critical phase is far from over,” the source added.

The strong criticism is, in part, a reflection of the high expectations within the network. There is hope that the show will grow into a new “Nippon TV flagship.”