A. Smith & Co. Enters into Co-Venture with Japanese Production Outfit

LOS ANGELES/TOKYO: A. Smith & Co. Productions and Taiyo Kikaku have teamed up to develop, produce and distribute content for TV, Internet and other media that will target the U.S. and Japan.

The two originally partnered on the hit ABC series I Survived a Japanese Game Show. Now, as part of the new alliance, A. Smith & Co. will adapt Taiyo Kikaku’s formats in the U.S. and other markets, and Taiyo Kikaku will work on A. Smith & Co.’s formats to fit into Japan and other Asian territories. The two companies will also collaborate on new programs that they will co-produce and jointly develop. The companies will develop and distribute properties and formats created by third parties as well.

Taiyo Kikaku will be opening a U.S. office and has hired Satoshi Akutsu to manage its new alliance with A. Smith & Co. The office will also provide support for global expansion of its core production business.

A. Smith & Co. founders Arthur Smith and Kent Weed stated, “This co-venture is the culmination of the creative and commercial success we have enjoyed collaborating with our friends at Taiyo Kikaku on I Survived a Japanese Game Show. As one of the most prestigious commercial producers in Asia, a formal venture with them provides an incredible platform for A. Smith & Co. to develop and deploy dynamic programming to audiences in new markets both here and abroad. We are honored to join forces with such an esteemed partner, and look forward to launching new projects in the near term.”

“We are honored to establish this co-venture with A. Smith & Co., one of the most distinguished production companies in Hollywood, and excited to be able to expand our business with their expertise,” said Hirohisa Sugizaki, Taiyo Kikaku’s president. “The business environment keeps changing every day with the deployment of the Internet and digital broadcasting, and by working with A. Smith, we have an opportunity to expand into broader media and new media channels.”