Nippon TV closes deal with Netflix for "Old Enough"

Nippon TV has finalized an agreement with Netflix to make 20 episodes of its hit entertainment show "Old Enough!" available worldwide with subtitles in 32 languages from 31st March 2022. “It is an immense honor to finalize this deal with Netflix that enables viewers the world over to enjoy Old Enough! for the first time," Keisuke Miyata, Head of Sales, International Business Development, Nippon TV, said.  "Already a hit in Asia, Old Enough! is quite an appealing format in that it offers great possibilities for localizations, no matter the place and culture."

The deal marks the first time that a Nippon TV program will stream globally to over 190 countries on Netflix. Last year, both companies collaborated to stream 30 titles in 24 Asian countries and territories in November 2021. "Old Enough!" has been sold as a very popular finished program to Asian countries and is also achieving global success as an unscripted format with previous adaptations in Italy, UK, Vietnam, China and most recently in Singapore, currently in its second season. The format rights for international adaptations throughout the world are currently available by Nippon TV. 

"It boasts a wealth of original Nippon TV technical modifications that ensure the children don’t notice the cameras so that their most candid expressions and actions shine through. My hope is that the global streaming of Old Enough! brings smiles to people and inspires the production of new local versions that feature adorable children from all parts of the world," Miyata said.

Currently airing bi-annually on Nippon TV to stellar ratings, the title centers on big adventures of adorable children running errands on their own for the very first time - all while being shadowed by an incognito camera crew. Each episode features a child, sometimes with a brother or a sister, from different families. In all cases, the producers meticulously gather research from parents and parental organizations, and parents decide the appropriate challenge for each child, for example, a 2-year-old boy going to the supermarket a kilometer away all by himself to buy food for the dinner his mother requested.  When the children hit the streets, it is always under the watchful eye of hidden cameras and the show's safety team, who are disguised as joggers, passersby, or gardeners.