Environment ｜ ESG ｜ TBS Sustainability

Biodiversity initiatives

Communicating the “Links of Lives” through the power of video

　TBS Television has filmed wild animals in the world for over 40 years in programs such as “Waku Waku Animal Land” and “Amazing Animals!” The content created is recognized to be the best on commercial broadcasting, and we are now streaming this valuable material on the “Amazing Animals/WAKUWAKU” YouTube channel. Some of the over 400 videos on the channel might never be shot again due to changes in the environment. Since its launch in October 2020, the channel has grown into one of Japan’s premier animal YouTube channels and currently has over 310,000 subscribers and a total of over 100 million views. More than 50% of the channel’s viewers are in their teens to early 30s, with many parents and children watching together. The channel is widely known, especially among younger generations, to offer “educational content where you can enjoy learning about nature and the environment,” and is beginning to gain an audience not only in Japan but also in the USA, India, and other parts of Asia.
　The following two “pillars” must not be forgotten when producing videos for this channel. The first is not to overly focus on the “cute” aspect of the animals, but also to stand with the researchers and address viewers’ questions, such as “why does the animal behave this way?” or “why does the animal look like this?” In addressing these questions, we can reveal the wonders and charms of all the creatures with whom we share this planet, from the insects to the reptiles and the mammals.
　The second pillar takes the form of the words left behind by the late Professor Shoichi Sengoku, who supervised the shows while the program was on terrestrial broadcast, namely: “All lives are connected (if even one kind of animal is lost, nature cannot endure).”
　With these two pillars as its concept, the channel presents nature as it is in the real world, with the complex connection of a wide variety of living creatures, thereby communicating the importance of biodiversity. As the TV station, what TBS can do is to communicate. We believe that if even one more person can learn about the environment, nature, and biodiversity through this YouTube channel, then it will have an impact on the future.

Amazing Animals/WAKUWAKU YouTube channel