PDF (840 KB) - Dentsu

Chapter2 - The Pioneer of a New Business: Footballof providing coverage of 80% of Japan, so prospects for a newbusiness model based on the use of regional broadcasters werehardly bright. The Dentsu people were pulling their hair outtrying to figure out how to achieve the 80% coverage, whenMatsuura stepped in. “Our Federation is not wedded to thecontract with NTV,” he said. “We’re happy for Dentsu to selectthe right broadcasters to achieve the desired 80% nationwidecoverage.” Nabeshima’s anxieties were swept away.Thoughts of TBS again went through Nabeshima’smind, but NTV seemed to be very go-ahead and committed tohigh school soccer as a new form of programming. Impressedwith their attitude, Nabeshima decided to go with them. As hewas in charge of regional broadcasters outside of Tokyo, he hadno direct links with the Tokyo-based NTV. After some carefulthought, he approached a friend at Aomori BroadcastingCorporation, an NTV affiliate, who then introduced him toToshiaki Kamiko, a member of NTV’s board. Nabeshimaentered into direct talks with him and proposed that the twocompanies work together to build up winter high school soccerinto something exciting. Kamiko took the idea straight to thepresident of the firm, Yosoji Kobayashi, who took less than tenminutes to agree to collaborate on the project. “I don’t care if44