FilmRise & Fuji Television Enter Exclusive Deal for Iron Chef

FilmRise has made an exclusive deal with Fuji Television Network to bring domestic and international audiences the Japanese culinary series Iron Chef.

FilmRise has secured all SVOD and AVOD rights to the series and will present all seven seasons on its FilmRise Streaming Network. The Japanese competition, hosted by Chairman Kaga, introduces a secret ingredient that contestants and the episode’s Iron Chef must use in each of their dishes.

Iron Chef completed its Japanese run in 1999 with 290 episodes, but eight international territories have since created their own versions, including the U.S., Israel, the U.K., Australia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and Canada.

Max Einhorn, senior VP of acquisitions and co-productions at FilmRise, said: “Iron Chef is a legendary brand and the true godfather of the modern cooking competition format and, as the originator of the secret-ingredient showdown and standard-setter for theatrics and drama, it’s easy to see why an entire American network reinvented itself after seeing the passion for Iron Chef. We look forward to offering it to old and new fans to stream around the world.”

Masaru Akiyama, senior manager at Fuji Television Network, said: “Iron Chef was a groundbreaking series, inspiring eight highly successful international editions, and became an instant cult fan favorite in the U.S. since its original airing in 1999. By partnering with FilmRise and plugging into their streaming network, we will be able to seamlessly reach our loyal fans and create new fans for the series around the globe.”