Bluey Lands Free-to-Air Slot in Japan

BBC Studios’ hit Bluey is slated to launch on TV Tokyo’s “Eeny meeny miny moe” slot in Japan later this month.

The preschool hit arrives on Japanese free-to-air television on October 26 at 7 a.m., with season one of the show available with a Japanese dub alongside the original English audio. Created and written by Joe Brumm, Bluey hails from Ludo Studio.

BBC Studios is planning a Japanese consumer products rollout for the show, with toys and other categories set to arrive in 2025. Japan falls under BBC Studios’ distribution deal with global master toy provider Moose Toys, which has launched products in the U.S., U.K., Australia, Europe and Asia.

Phil Hardman, senior VP and general manager of BBC Studios Asia, said, “Bluey is one of the most popular and most awarded kids’ brands in the world. We’re so excited to be partnering with TV Tokyo to bring this to new audiences in Japan. We want families across Japan to fall in love with Bluey and her wonderful Heeler family just like the rest of the world. This is just the beginning of our journey of making Bluey big in Japan.”

Rei Marumo, general manager of the anime division of TV Tokyo, added: “We were first approached by BBC Studios about a year ago and have been preparing for the broadcast in Japan since then. We love Bluey for its stories that depict moments in children’s lives in a fun and entertaining way, making it a high-quality animation that both children and adults can enjoy. The characters in the series are also depicted as positive role models for both parents and children, and we believe Bluey has the potential to be an important conversation starter for Japanese families. We are honored that the series will finally start airing on TV Tokyo from October 26.”