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Fuji TV’s reputation has taken a severe hit following allegations surrounding former SMAP member and TV host Nakai Masahiro, leading to a dramatic loss of sponsors for the broadcaster.
The impact became evident this past week when two of Fuji TV’s flagship anime, Sazae-san and Chibi Maruko-chan, aired without any sponsor support.
Scandal Fallout Leads to Sponsor Withdrawals
The controversy erupted after reports emerged that Nakai Masahiro had paid a substantial financial settlement to a Fuji TV employee. The settlement was linked to an alleged sexual assault, which the victim reportedly sought to address privately to protect her identity.
Compounding the scandal, local tabloids have accused Fuji TV employees of coercing female announcers into attending functions where Nakai was present, some of which allegedly turned into private gatherings of a sexual nature.
Fuji TV’s failure to provide satisfactory answers to these allegations has led to a sharp decline in advertiser confidence.
According to reports, nearly half of the network’s sponsors have pulled their ads, forcing the broadcaster to replace commercial slots with public service announcements from the Ad Council of Japan (AC Japan) and internal promotions for Fuji TV programming.
Sazae-san and Chibi Maruko-chan Air Without Sponsors
The sponsorship crisis was most visible during Sunday broadcasts of Sazae-san and Chibi Maruko-chan, two of Japan’s long-running anime.
Traditionally, Sazae-san features a sponsorship placard listing its commercial backers at the end of its opening theme.
However, this week, the placard was noticeably absent, replaced instead by a silent scene of the family cat, Tama, walking in front of the Sazae household.
Similarly, Chibi Maruko-chan also omitted its sponsorship placard, opting for a still image of the show’s characters instead. Commercial breaks featured only in-house promotions for Fuji TV’s other programs, with Sazae-san additionally airing a mix of AC Japan advertisements.
Fuji TV Promises Investigation: Sponsors Await Results
Fuji TV has promised a full investigation into how it handled the Nakai situation, with a third-party review expected to address both the scandal itself and the station’s governance practices.
However, many sponsors have already indicated that they will withhold further support until the findings are revealed.
Financial Fallout
On Jan 31, the company revised its net profit forecast for the current term, lowering it to 9.8 billion yen from the previously projected 29 billion yen.
This marks a dramatic drop of about 74% from the previous term’s net profit of 37 billion yen. Additionally, Fuji TV’s advertising revenue is expected to decrease by 23.3 billion yen compared to earlier projections.
The loss of sponsors has also affected Fuji’s affiliated stations nationwide. Sponsors are pulling commercials for Fuji-produced programs and canceling individual commercial contracts with local stations.
Sources indicate that the total loss for these affiliated stations is currently estimated at around 1.3 to 1.4 billion yen, with the potential for an additional 200 to 300 million yen in future losses.
Following the scandal, Fuji TV had announced during a press conference held on Jan 27, 2025, that Koichi Minato has stepped down as president.
Source: Unseen Japan, Tokyo Reporter
