Sanrio and Nippon TV team up to expand their VTuber business

The Japanese trend of animated YouTubers/live streamers is under the spotlight as these two big companies identify it as a business growth opportunity.
July 25, 2024

Sanrio Company and Nippon TV’s ClaN Entertainment subsidiary have inked an agreement to share capital and production resources to build a business in the market of animated YouTubers/live streamers. 

The goal of this partnership is to create virtual YouTubers (a.k.a. VTubers), which are 2D- or CG-animated avatars—typically produced through motion-capture technology—that take the place of YouTubers or live-streamers. VTubers are mostly a Japanese export, and agencies have started to crop up there to represent this emerging type of talent, run fan events and sign L&M deals on behalf of these creators. 

One such agency, Tokyo-based Cover, earned US$88 million in revenue for its 2022/2023 fiscal year with a business model that includes VTuber partnerships with major brands (including video game Among Us and energy drink Red Bull), physical and digital merch launches and live performances. 

Sanrio is providing financing for both companies to create new VTuber content, and its capital investment brings the total amount that ClaN has raised for this push (since launching in April 2022) to US$5.5 million.  

ClaN and Sanrio have already brought six new VTubers to market together—three in December 2023 and three in May 2024. Taking their partnership to the next level will marry ClaN’s experience in launching VTubers, running events and generally promoting them with Sanrio’s global reach.  

VTubers, which focus on providing fans with interactive experiences, are expected to drive considerable YouTube and metaverse business for both companies, as well as expanding Sanrio’s brand monetization business, says its president and CEO Tomokuni Tsuji: “We believe that the VTuber business will become a core business in our digital strategy.” 

“We will create new entertainment and accelerate business expansion,” adds Motoyuki Oi, ClaN’s president and CEO. “We are also convinced that VTuber [content can] compete on a global scale, and we will use this partnership as a starting point.”

Pictured is two of the VTubers that ClaN and Sanrio launched together in May as part of a joint project called Nyantasia!. 

About The Author
News editor for Kidscreen. Ryan covers tech, talent and general kids entertainment news, with a passion for kids rap content and video games. Have a story that's of interest to Kidscreen readers? Contact Ryan at rtuchow@brunico.com

Search

Menu

Brand Menu