WOWOW Ventures into Live Concert Business

TOKYO: Japanese pay-TV broadcaster WOWOW has expanded its relationship with the Tony Awards and will now produce its first Broadway-themed concert for Japan.

WOWOW will produce a brand-new concert that will promote Broadway theaters as well as the annual Tony Awards. The concert will take place in Tokyo in spring 2017. Performers will include top Broadway actors and actresses, as well as Japan’s top music stars. WOWOW plans to produce this musical concert as an annual event for the continuous promotion of Broadway culture. WOWOW currently has an agreement to broadcast the Tony Awards as an exclusive in Japan.

Kayo Washio, who runs WOWOW’s Los Angeles office and is producing the concert event for WOWOW, said, “We have a great partnership with the American Theater Wing and The Broadway League and like any great partnership, want to expand on it and explore new and exciting ways to collaborate. We are delighted to bring a concert experience to Japan that is unique in nature and can grow into a marquee annual event.”

“There is nothing quite like the thrill of a live performance, and we are thrilled to increase our partnership with WOWOW to bring the magic of Broadway and the best of the Tony Awards through this concert to fans in Japan,” added Charlotte St. Martin, the president of The Broadway League, and Heather Hitchens, the president of the American Theatre Wing.