TV Asahi’s World Aquatics Future in Question Amid Growing Success
Not a single live broadcast.
The 22nd World Aquatics Championships, held in Singapore, concluded on the 3rd.
The tournament began on July 11, covering water polo, artistic swimming, and marathon swimming, with the main attraction, competitive swimming, starting on July 27. For Japan, on the final day, Mio Narita (18), a first-year student at Meiji University, won silver in the women’s 400m individual medley. Tomoyuki Matsushita (20), a second-year student at Toyo University making his first appearance, earned silver in the men’s 400m individual medley with a personal best. Ippei Watanabe (28) took silver in the men’s 200m breaststroke, and Tatsuya Murasa (18), a first-year student at Chuo University, won bronze in the men’s 200m freestyle.
“This time, TV Asahi, which had exclusive broadcasting rights for the ‘World Aquatics Championships,’ could not air the events live in the prime-time slot (7–11 p.m.) despite Singapore’s minimal time difference. This was partly because at last year’s Paris Olympics, the Japanese swimmers won only one medal—a silver by Matsushita—so the network couldn’t predict how many medals the Japanese team would win. As a result, the swimming coverage aired only after ‘Hōdō Station,’ starting around 11 p.m.
During the Monday–Thursday slot, viewers usually watch ‘news zero’ (Nippon TV) and ‘news23’ (TBS), and because results were already known before the broadcast, ratings stayed at only 2–3%. Online, many viewers expressed disappointment, saying, ‘There wasn’t a single live broadcast of the swimming.’” (Broadcasting reporter)
The World Aquatics Championships is the most important swimming competition after the Olympics. While it used to be held irregularly, since the 2001 Fukuoka event, it has been held biennially in odd-numbered years. TV Asahi’s efforts have contributed in no small way to the growth and consistency of the event.
The star of the first broadcast was Ian Thorpe
“TV Asahi signed an exclusive domestic broadcast rights contract for the Fukuoka Championships. At the Sydney Olympics the previous year (2000), Japanese swimmers won two silver and two bronze medals. However, with young talent developing, TV Asahi signed the contract with an eye on future potential.
At the Fukuoka Championships, Japanese swimmers didn’t win any gold medals, but Australia’s Ian Thorpe (42) claimed six titles across individual and relay events, becoming an instant superstar. Thanks to this unexpected international star, the event gained huge attention. B’z’s ultra soul became an indispensable theme song for the competition,” said a TV industry insider.
At the second broadcast, the 2003 Barcelona Championships, Kosuke Kitajima (42) won two golds in the 100m and 200m breaststroke. He later achieved consecutive victories at the Athens and Beijing Olympics, accumulating a total of four gold medals.
Over 25 years and 14 tournaments, numerous memorable moments were etched in viewers’ memories. Performances by Satomi Suzuki (34), silver medalist at the 2012 London Olympics; Kosuke Hagino (30), gold medalist at the 2016 Rio Olympics; and Yui Ohashi (29), double gold medalist at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, helped elevate the competition. However, this year’s event was broadcast late at night, and from next year, it might not even be televised at all.
Even though a bright future was starting to emerge
Last November, Sports Nippon reported that TV Asahi would withdraw from broadcasting the World Aquatics Championships after 2025. In response to the newspaper’s inquiry, TV Asahi stated, “We plan to broadcast next year’s Singapore tournament,” but did not explicitly deny the withdrawal.
The main reason appears to be the combined impact of soaring broadcasting rights and production costs, along with the weak yen. Indeed, in recent years, broadcasting rights for soccer, baseball, and martial arts have skyrocketed, making it increasingly difficult to watch these events for free on terrestrial TV. However, that is not the only factor.
“Lately, there hasn’t been an emergence of young talent, and interest in swimming itself has declined. At the Fukuoka tournament in 2023, which served as a prelude to the Paris Olympics, Japanese swimmers won only two bronze medals, and live broadcast ratings languished at 6–7%. At the Paris Olympics, they managed just one silver medal—a poor result.
Even in this recent tournament, with no standout young swimmers, programs highlighted veterans like Suzuki and Rikako Ikee (25), but they failed to capture viewers’ attention. On the other hand, university students Matsushita, Narita, and Murasa won medals. A ‘bright future’ seemed to be emerging for the 2027 Budapest Championships and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.” (Olympics reporter for a sports newspaper).
When asked about TV Asahi’s plans for future broadcasts, the network replied, “Nothing has been decided regarding tournaments from next year onward.”
The Japanese national team, which has shown signs of resurgence—including achieving the initial goal of multiple medals and at least 14 top eight finishes, and setting two new national records—faces uncertainty: will fans be able to cheer for them on terrestrial TV at the Budapest Championships in two years?
FRIDAY Digital welcomes information tips and leads from readers. Please submit them via the form below or the official X account.
Information form: https://friday.kodansha.co.jp/tips
Official X: https://x.com/FRIDAY_twit
